Which Forza Horizon game was the first to include dynamic weather seasons?

Forza Horizon 4 was the first Forza Horizon game to include dynamic weather seasons.

Released in 2018, the game introduced a shared-world cycle that moves through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The seasons are not merely visual changes: they alter driving conditions, scenery, available routes, and the behaviour of parts of the environment. For example, Derwentwater freezes during winter, allowing players to drive across the lake and reach areas that are inaccessible at other times.

The game synchronises seasons across its online servers, so players in the same shared world experience the same seasonal conditions. The cycle changes weekly after the introductory events teach players how each season affects the map. This feature became one of Forza Horizon 4’s defining innovations and was later retained and expanded in Forza Horizon 5.

A common mix-up is confusing ordinary dynamic weather—such as rain or fog—with the full seasonal system. Earlier Forza Horizon games featured changing weather effects, but Forza Horizon 4 was the series entry associated with the first complete, world-changing four-season system.