Can I continue to play this game after Microsoft shuts down the server?

[宫商角徵羽]

I'm not talking about The game being taken down, I'm talking about the game being shut down like The Crew.

[Top Gun]

The game's server isn't being shut down, it's just being delisted from stores. Even if the servers were shut down, most of the game's content can be accessed while offline.

[Johnny_MV_21]

Delisting just means no longer for sale. And is independent from server shutdown. Server shutdown impact depends on what the game uses the servers for.

On The Crew 1 (delisted on 14 December 2023, server shutdown on 31 March 2024) the game used online servers for everything: login, single-player and multiplayer. Thats why the game became unplayable with server shutdown. (btw, there's a team of modders on Discord that is working on reviving the game: The Crew Unlimited)

Forza Horizon games use a Microsoft/Xbox account server for login, and then another server for multiplayer. No server needed for single-player so even after server shutdown you'll be able to play against bots/drivatars but all the online stuff will be gone (multiplayer, co-op, auction house, livery download, tune download...).

No date has been given for Horizon 4 server shutdown but going by the previous games they will stay online for a few more years:
-Horizon 1: release in 2012, delisted in 2016, shutdown in 2023. Single-player ok.
-Horizon 2: release in 2014, delisted in 2018, shutdown in 2023. Single-player ok.
-Horizon 3: release in 2016, delisted in 2020, still live.
-Horizon 4: release in 2018, delisted in 2024, still live.

The Microsoft/Xbox account server for login are still live for all, and in theory only go away if Microsoft goes boom.

[Gameboy Nitro]

Worth noting that FH3 was the first release on Windows... FH1 and FH2 still have Xbox 360 releases (which also may be why the servers are gone). So we'll have 2 Horizon editions released on the next console before these servers get shutdown, maybe...

[宫商角徵羽]

Originally posted by Johnny_MV_21:

Delisting just means no longer for sale. And is independent from server shutdown. Server shutdown impact depends on what the game uses the servers for.

On The Crew 1 (delisted on 14 December 2023, server shutdown on 31 March 2024) the game used online servers for everything: login, single-player and multiplayer. Thats why the game became unplayable with server shutdown. (btw, there's a team of modders on Discord that is working on reviving the game: The Crew Unlimited)

Forza Horizon games use a Microsoft/Xbox account server for login, and then another server for multiplayer. No server needed for single-player so even after server shutdown you'll be able to play against bots/drivatars but all the online stuff will be gone (multiplayer, co-op, auction house, livery download, tune download...).

No date has been given for Horizon 4 server shutdown but going by the previous games they will stay online for a few more years:
-Horizon 1: release in 2012, delisted in 2016, shutdown in 2023. Single-player ok.
-Horizon 2: release in 2014, delisted in 2018, shutdown in 2023. Single-player ok.
-Horizon 3: release in 2016, delisted in 2020, still live.
-Horizon 4: release in 2018, delisted in 2024, still live.

The Microsoft/Xbox account server for login are still live for all, and in theory only go away if Microsoft goes boom.

Thanks, your answer was intuitive and allayed my concerns.

[宫商角徵羽]

Originally posted by Gameboy Nitro:

Worth noting that FH3 was the first release on Windows... FH1 and FH2 still have Xbox 360 releases (which also may be why the servers are gone). So we'll have 2 Horizon editions released on the next console before these servers get shutdown, maybe...

Based on your guess, I'm guessing that Microsoft might stop network support for FH3, FH4, or even FH5 while shutting down the Xbox One servers. But that's just my guess, after all, as you said, the first two FHs didn't have Windows versions.