Although the Lunar New Year has now passed, the celebrations in Forza Horizon 5 keep on going with the penultimate Playlist for the series today.
Series 30 of FH5 is named after this calendar event, and marks the occasion with some eastern flavor — both in the world cosmetics and the playlist rewards.
Nine of the ten prize cars this month are from Chinese and Korean brands, including all five of the new-to-game vehicles. There’s also an Evolving World Accolade for collecting these five, which requires 20 points in each season and 80 points across all four — of the 75 and 300 available respectively.
The game world makeover is primarily centered on the stadium, which becomes the “Lunar Drift Arena” for the month. This sees a special drift course laid out in the arena, with Chinese lantern and “long” dragon decor, while the various Drift Zones around the map have special flags for the duration.
Above the stadium you’ll find a drone show in the shape of the dragon — visible day and night courtesy of illuminated paper lanterns — and a special Collectible will feature in this week’s events.
Lastly there’s also a new China-themed, paid-DLC pack available.
Table of Contents
- Series 30: Lunar New Year
- Series 30 Winter/Dry Season Rewards
- Series 30 Winter Playlist: Forzathon Events
- Series 30 Winter Playlist: Season Events
- Series 30 Winter Playlist: Challenges
- Series 30 Winter Playlist: Monthly Events
- Series 30 Winter Bonus DLC Events
- Series 30 Winter Forzathon Shop
Series 30: Lunar New Year
If you’re a particularly diligent player you’ll already have one and will be able to pick up the other of the two Series reward cars this week.
Scoring 80 points across the Series will add the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 6 to your garage, the flagship of the Ioniq EV sub-brand.
It’s more sensible than a great many modern EVs, even in its top, dual-motor form you’ll find here. This set-up is good for 320hp — and all-wheel drive — whisking you along at reasonable pace in comfort, rather than hitting 60mph in a second and shunting your eyeballs into the back of your skull.
Hyundai had planned a fruitier version, tied into a ETCR race car, but sadly the series folded and we never got to see either beyond a concept.
At 160 points you’ll earn the NIO EP9, which very much does relocated your sight organs.
Produced only in very limited numbers as a halo model for the more day-to-day NIO range of sedans and SUVs, the EP9 packs four electric motors which each drives an individual wheel.
Combined they produce 1MW of power — 1,341hp, the same as a Koenigsegg One:1 — and the hypercar set electric lap records at the Nurburgring, COTA, and Shanghai.
Series 30 Winter/Dry Season Rewards
One of our favorite hot hatches (provided you don’t put the suspension in N mode) pops up as a reward this week, in the shape of the Hyundai i30N.
It’s the first-gen facelift version of the C-segment bruiser, which sports a 276hp, turbocharged four-pot that powers the front wheels only.
That’s good for a sub-six second sprint to 60mph and a 155mph top speed, and it’s quite the entertaining drive too.
The only non-Asian vehicle in the rewards is available for 40 points this week, with the Hoonigan Hoonicorn v2.
This is the later, lighter car from Gymkhana 10, which sports the same 1,400hp, twin-turbocharged, 6.7-liter V8 stuffed into a 1965 Ford Mustang — although there’s not a great deal of the original Mustang left…
Winter will run until 1430UTC on Thursday February 22, with Series 30 continuing for one more week until the same time on Thursday February 29.
Series 30 Winter Playlist: Forzathon Events
There’s some more drifting action in store for this week’s Forzathon Weekly event, starring the Gymkhana 10 “Hoonitruck” — a sliding beast built out of a 1977 Ford F-150 by the Hoonigans. Own and drive one — it’s available in the Forzathon Shop for 400FP this week — to get Hoonitruck underway.
You’re going to be largely mimicking Gymkhana 10 this week, starting off with a Drift Tap skill. This comes from a lightly glancing blow with a solid object while drifting, which you can do with ease in the Lunar Drift Arena.
Next you’re going to need to win a race, at the rather lengthy Volcan Sprint climb up the east slope of the volcano. Take victory to progress to the final stage.
Rack up and bank a total 43,000 Skill Score — by speeding, sliding, jumping, and smashing, without losing your chain by crashing into solid objects, NPC cars, or flipping – to complete the event and earn five Playlist points and 80 Forzathon Points.
Weekly Challenge: Hoonitruck
- Car: Hoonigan Gymkhana 10 F-150 Hoonitruck ’77
- Chapter 1: Own and drive the Hoonitruck
- Chapter 2: Earn a Drift Tap Skill in the Hoonitruck
- Chapter 3: Win the Volcan Sprint in the Hoonitruck
- Chapter 4: Bank 43,000 Skill Score in the Hoonitruck
- Reward: 5 points, 80FP
Seven new Daily Challenges pop up at, as you’d expect, the rate of one a day during the week. Each earns you one point for completing the challenge, and you’ve got seven full days for each one — even if that runs into the next season.
Get a Swift Drift first by earning three Ultimate Drift or E-Drift Skills — for prolonged slides, including those initiated with the handbrake — at the Arena in one minute or less.
Complete the Canyon Expedition next to earn the Full Moon challenge.
It’s a Half Moon next, as you score three stars at the Speed Zone around Pyramid of the Moon.
Take a photo of the 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse to check off Total Eclipse and complete the set of Jaffa Cake-themed challenges.
Your Clothes are Wings on Monday when you equip the Chicken Suit in the Character Customizer.
The next challenge, Send it Like Saito, is complex, requiring you to earn an Ebisu Style combination skill. This combines a Drift Skill at Great (or better) magnitude with an Air Skill of the same level. In essence you’ll need to hit a decent-sized jump sideways and land into a slide — or slide at a jump. Anywhere with frequent hills will work, as will any Danger Sign you can drift your approach to.
Finally make the most of an Unfair Advantage and win a Midnight Battle in any Aston Martin Vantage.
Daily Challenges
- February 15 – Swift Drift: Earn 3 Ultimate Drift/E-Drift Skills at the Arena in one minute
- February 16 – Full Moon: Complete the Canyon Expedition
- February 17 – Half Moon: Earn three stars at the Pyramid of the Moon Speed Zone
- February 18 – Total Eclipse: Take a photo of the Mitsubishi Eclipse ’95
- February 19 – Clothes are Wings: Equip the Chicken Suit in the Character Customizer
- February 20 – Send it Like Saito: Earn an Ebisu Style skill combo
- February 21 – Unfair Advantage: Win a Midnight Battle in any Aston Martin Vantage
Series 30 Winter Playlist: Season Events
Eight events await in the solo challenges this week, as the Seasonal Championships drop to two alongside the three EventLabs and three PR Stunts.
The EventLabs — each worth three points and a bonus prize — are a bit of a mix of a completely custom route, a heavily altered piece of existing landscape, and a race on existing roads with a cosmetic makeover.
Arcadia is the first of these, carrying on from the Dystopia/Utopia pairing of the last couple of weeks. It’s based on EventLab Island and features a high-speed custom course with the usual high quality backdrop. Win the race here in S1 Class (801-900PI) Track Toys to earn yourself a Super Wheelspin.
The Otoribashi course is a Japanese-themed route based at the top of the volcano. You might find the new road pieces a bit bumpy, but win this B Class (601-700PI) race for cars from Japan to score a 2012 Nissan GT-R.
Hilltop Scramble is based around the Hotel Castillo player house and takes in paved and unpaved roads for a race for B Class (601-700PI) Classic Rally and Retro Rally cars. Win to earn a Creative Tee clothing item.
It’s another one-make set of PR Stunts this week, with all three requiring a B Class (601-700PI) Hyundai to jump as far as it can through a Danger Sign — for two points and a Super Wheelspin apiece.
Again they aren’t a massively tricky set, with 210m required at Ridge Crest, 177m at Cascadas, and 168m at Cannonball — all easily in reach with enough of a run-up.
Both of the Seasonal Championships are their usual three-race events against “Highly Skilled” AI. You’ll need to top the points table at the end of the championship to claim five points and a bonus prize.
Fine China is a Street Racing event — so watch out for NPC traffic — for A Class (701-800PI) cars from China, and awarding a Lotus Exige S. You’ll need a C Class (501-600PI) Volkswagen for Year of the Volksdragon, which awards a Hyundai Veloster N.
EventLab: Arcadia
- Car: S1 Class, Track Toys
- Location: EventLab Island
- Challenge: Win the race
- Reward: 3 points, Super Wheelspin
EventLab: Hilltop Scramble
- Car: B Class, Class Rally/Retro Rally
- Location: Hotel Castillo
- Challenge: Win the race
- Reward: 3 points, Creative Tee
EventLab: Otoribashi
- Car: B Class, Japan
- Location: Gran Caldera
- Challenge: Finish the race
- Reward: 3 points, Nissan GT-R ’12
Danger Sign: Cannonball
- Car: B Class, Hyundai
- Location: Guanajuato
- Challenge: 168m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Danger Sign: Cascadas
- Car: B Class, Hyundai
- Location: Cascadas de Agua Azul
- Challenge: 177m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Danger Sign: Ridge Crest
- Car: B Class, Hyundai
- Location: Cordillera
- Challenge: 210m
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Seasonal Championship: Fine China
- Car: A Class, China
- Location: Cordillera
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Lotus Exige S
Seasonal Championship: Year of the Volksdragon
- Car: C Class, Volkswagen
- Location: Hotel Mirador
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Hyundai Veloster N
There’s a pair of only multiplayer events this week, both requiring an Xbox Core subscription in order to take part on console — although it’s free to take part on PC.
Seasonal Playground Games makes its return and it’s set to be a weird one this week. Running Laps will see you playing a best-of-three rounds of Team Flag Rush in A Class (701-800PI) “David vs Goliath” vehicles. This pits the very largest and heaviest cars against the smallest and lightest; your choice is nimble or brutal.
Flag Rush pits two teams of up to six players against one another, with one trying to carry flags from a pickup point to a score zone and the other trying to tag them to stop them — before switching ends. The small cars will be useful for the former with the big cars better for the latter, but you only get to choose once.
You’ll need to complete the rounds — with each round being one turn each as carriers and chasers — to earn three points and a “Special Delivery” Forza LINK greeting. Victory isn’t necessary.
This week’s Trial, Saddle Up, will also be interesting. As usual it’s a best-of-three race team championship, with up to six human players competing against a squad of six “Unbeatable” AI racers,
The emphasis here is on “team”. Each player on each team scores 100pt for each opponent that they beat, but nothing for beating a team-mate. You’ll need to help each other out then, while also hindering the AI, to get the highest team score.
It’s a mixed-surface challenge this week for B Class (601-700PI) Ford Mustang models of any stripe. That’s a relatively low pace, but the dirt sections will lead to wild driving and — if you haven’t prepped your car with rally suspension for the water splashes — many changes of position.
If your team can keep it together, and remember to tune their cars, it should be a simple win inside two races for ten points and a Formula Drift Mustang.
Seasonal Playground Games: Running Laps
- Car: A Class, David vs Goliath
- Location: Estadio Horizon
- Challenge: Finish the event
- Reward: 3 points, “Special Delivery” Forza LINK
The Trial: Saddle Up
- Car: B Class, Ford Mustang
- Location: Atlantes de Tula
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 10 points, Formula Drift #13 Ford Mustang
Series 30 Winter Playlist: Challenges
There’s three Challenges this week, with a multiplayer Horizon Open event — requiring Xbox Core unless you play on PC — alongside a new Collectibles challenge and the permanent Photo Challenge.
For the Horizon Open event, Catch My Drift, you only need complete any Horizon Open Drifting event. That’ll earn you two points and the Formula Drift #43 Dodge Viper.
You can complete the Photo Challenge, #KillAllTyres, while you’re engaging in the Forzathon Weekly. Just snap any Hoonigan vehicle — so it may as well be the Hoonitruck — to earn two points and a “Time to Hoon?” Forza LINK greeting.
The new Collectible is a Fireworks Box which you’ll find in the Lunar Drift Arena. They’re not especially hidden — you’ll encounter them just driving the drift track — but smashing ten of them will complete Off With a Bang and earn you three points and the Fireworks Horn.
Collectibles: Off With a Bang
- Cars: Any
- Location: Horizon Lunar Drift Arena
- Challenge: Smash ten Fireworks Boxes at the Horizon Lunar Drift Arena
- Reward: 3 points, Fireworks Horn
Horizon Open: Catch My Drift
- Cars: Any
- Location: Horizon Open Drifting
- Challenge: Complete a Horizon Open Drifting event
- Reward: 2 points, Formula Drift #43 Dodge Viper
Photo Challenge: #KillAllTyres
- Cars: Hoonigan (any)
- Location: Any
- Challenge: Photograph any Hoonigan
- Reward: 2 points, “Time to Hoon?” Forza LINK
Series 30 Winter Playlist: Monthly Events
If you haven’t already cleared them, there’s four Monthly Events available across the Series, with a total of 16 points available for completing all four.
Each one is worth four points, giving one point to each season whether you complete them on the first or last day of the Series (or any point in-between).
While superficially similar to Rivals events, Monthly Events don’t require you to set a fast time. You’ll be pitted against a ghost rival, but just set a clean run — no Rewind, no missed checkpoints, and no contact with fixed objects — to earn the points.
The set comprises two regular events and two Forza EV challenges for electric cars. You’ll be racing the Hyundai Ioniq 6 at the Aerodromo Sprint course and the DLC pack MG Cyberster around the Tierra Prospera Circuit in Forza EV. Monthly Rivals stars the Lynk&Co 02 at the Estadio Circuit, and the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker monster truck at the Baja Scramble course.
Forza EV: Aerodromo Sprint
- Cars: Hyundai Ioniq 6 (provided)
- Location: Aerodromo en la Selva
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Forza EV: Tierra Prospera Circuit
- Cars: MG Cyberster (provided)
- Location: Tierra Prospera
- Challenge: Post a Clean Time
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Estadio Circuit
- Cars: Lynk&Co 02 (provided)
- Location: Estadio Horizon
- Challenge: Post a Clean Lap
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Monthly Rivals: Horizon Baja Scramble
- Cars: Hot Wheels Bone Shaker (provided)
- Location: Baja Circuit
- Challenge: Post a Clean Time
- Reward: 4 points (1 added to each season)
Series 30 Winter Bonus DLC Events
A bonus 14 bonus points awaits in the DLC expansion packs — seven in each location, consisting of a two-point PR Stunt and a five-point Seasonal Championship — for players who own them. These aren’t required for 100% completion, but give you a little help towards the targets.
Hoonigan is up in the PR Stunts this week, with a Speed Zone in each location. You’ll need an S1 Class (801-900PI) vehicle from the stunting brand, to achieve 70mph at Tierras Verdes in Rally Adventure and 180mph at Treetops in Hot Wheels — with a Super Wheelspin reward for each.
There’s a slight tweak to the Seasonal Championships though. Very Imprezzive in Rally Adventure remains a three-race event against “Highly Skilled” AI, requiring you to to top the points table at the end of each to earn the points and bonus. You’ll need a B Class (601-700PI) Subaru for this event.
However Journey of a Thousand Miles is a one-and-done sprint at the Hot Wheels Goliath course, for S2 Class Hypercars. Win against the Highly Skilled AI to earn the points and a Koenigsegg CC8S.
Hot Wheels Speed Zone: Treetops
- Car: S1 Class, Hoonigan
- Location: Hot Wheels Forest Falls
- Challenge: 180mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Hot Wheels Seasonal Championship: Journey of a Thousand Miles
- Car: S2 Class, Hypercars
- Location: Hot Wheels Ice Cauldron
- Challenge: Win the Race
- Reward: 5 points, Koenigsegg CC8S
Rally Adventure Speed Zone: Tierras Verdes
- Car: S1 Class, Hoonigan
- Location: Sierra Nueva Colinas Juanita
- Challenge: 70mph
- Reward: 2 points, Super Wheelspin
Rally Adventure Seasonal Championship: Very Imprezzive
- Car: B Class, Subaru
- Location: Sierra Nueva Tierras Verdes
- Challenge: Win the Championship
- Reward: 5 points, Horizon Raptors Desert Scarf
Series 30 Winter Forzathon Shop
If you thought last week’s Forzathon Shop was power-packed this week’s makes it look a little tame.
Leading the line is the Koenigsegg One:1, a variant of the Agera hypercar with one horsepower per kilogram on the scales. Naturally this means that the 1,360kg car has the same number of — sadly metric — horsepower.
That technically makes it the quickest model in the Agera range, although it’s the Agera RS which holds the production road car records. With only seven examples of the One:1 made, it wouldn’t qualify in any case.
More of a one-of-one is the Hoonitruck. You’ll need this for the Forzathon Weekly Challenge this week, so you can pick the 900hp V8 drift truck — which had a starring role in Gymkhana 10 — here if you wish.
At 500,000cr in the Autoshow, you might prefer to spend the money on the Hoonitruck than the 400FP here. The One:1 is more of a good deal at 750FP against 2.8 million credits.
The other store items this week are the Red Round Shades and Rawr Emote at 75FP each. The Wheelspin and Super Wheelspin are also available at their usual 60FP and 150FP respectively.
Series 30 Winter Forzathon Shop
- Koenigsegg One:1 2015- 750FP
- Hoonigan Gymkhana 10 F-150 Hoonitruck – 400FP
- Red Round Shades – 75FP
- Rawr Emote – 75FP
- Wheelspin – 60FP
- Super Wheelspin – 150FP
See more articles on Forza Horizon 5 Season Change.
