Microsoft and Porsche took the opportunity of the New York International Auto Show, which is taking place this week, to announce a new partnership between Porsche and Microsoft’s Turn 10 Studios, the developer behind the Xbox- and Windows-exclusive Forza series. The six-year partnership will allow Turn 10 and Porsche “to collaborate on a suite of co-branded initiatives,” wrote Turn 10 Studio Head Alan Hartman on Microsoft’s Windows blog.
The partnership’s first fruit is a double whammy, starting with Porsche’s first esports sponsorship, according to the post: the Forza Racing Championship (ForzaRC) Season 3, dubbed “The Porsche Cup.” The post called it “the most inclusive racing esports program and home to the largest online racing community in gaming.” Registration is open at forzarc.gfinity.net.
Second is a new expansion for Forza Horizon 3, the Porsche car pack, which features seven Porsche cars, from classics to contemporaries: The 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4, 2017 Porsche Panamera Turbo, 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, 1995 Porsche 911 GT2, 1955 Porsche 550A Spyder, and 1960 Porsche 718 RS 60. The trailer above provides a glimpse at these beauties in action.
The third ForzaRC season kicks off at the Forza Racing Championship 2017 New York Invitational Presented by Porsche on April 15-16 at the Microsoft store on Fifth Avenue in New York, the company’s flagship retail location. Taking part will be 18 “Elite” Forza players from around the world, with $25,000 in cash prizes on the line, plus a drifting competition. Porsche professional driver Matt Campbell will attend on April 15, giving guests the opportunity to race him and some of the ForzaRC Elite players in person. The event will be live-streamed through Twitch, YouTube, and Microsoft’s Beam service.
Hartman concluded the blog post with a promise that Porsche and Turn 10 will “continue delivering more content and ForzaRC experiences for our fans.” Presumably that means more car packs and sponsorships in the future, so if you’re a Forza and Porsche fan the next six years should be quite a ride.
