I still remember the first time I saw that Corvette Stingray wrapped in marigolds and sugar-skull motifs. It was 2021, and Microsoft had just announced a Dia de los Muertos collaboration for Forza Horizon 4 and the then-upcoming Forza Horizon 5. Now, in 2026, I look back at that event with a mix of nostalgia and realism. The holiday itself, Day of the Dead, is a celebration of memory, family, and those who have passed. For a racing game set in Mexico, it was a natural fit. But time-limited content has a way of becoming a ghost story. The livery was like a paper marigold pressed inside a racing helmet—bright, fragile, and impossible to forget.
Microsoft partnered with actor Xolo Maridueña, known for Cobra Kai, to design a custom Día de Muertos-inspired car livery for the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray. The design appeared in both Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5. In FH4, you needed to unlock the first Player House to get it, and it was available until the end of 2021. In FH5, it was waiting for players when the game launched on November 5, 2021. I remember grinding Forzathon challenges just to make sure I had enough points for the themed t-shirts. Two of the three artist designs were available in the Forzathon shop, and I wore them like a badge of honor.
Then there were the consoles. Microsoft collaborated with three artists—Sam Rodriguez, Juan Puente, and Axis—to create custom-designed Xbox One X consoles. They were given away through the official Xbox Twitter account. Each console was a small altar of color and symbolism. The designs were not just skins; they were interpretations of memory, death, and celebration. I never won one, but I saved the images. The consoles were like painted altars in a museum—each one a small shrine to memory, play, and art.
In 2026, the landscape is different. Forza Horizon 5 is no longer the new kid. It has been out for years, and the original limited-time livery is now a collector's item for those who claimed it. Forza Horizon 4 was delisted from digital storefronts in December 2024, so new players cannot easily buy it anymore. That means the Corvette livery and the Forzathon t-shirts are locked behind a door that has mostly closed. If you already own them, they are part of your personal garage history. If you don't, you can only admire them in screenshots and videos. Time-limited content is a sandcastle built at low tide; beautiful, but the ocean always comes back.
Here is a quick breakdown of what the collaboration included and what it means now:
| Feature | Original availability | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray livery by Xolo Maridueña | FH4 until end of 2021; FH5 at launch | No longer obtainable in FH4 due to delisting; in FH5 only if claimed during event |
| Two artist-designed t-shirts in Forzathon shop | FH4 during 2021 event | Gone for new players |
| Three custom Xbox One X consoles | Giveaway via Xbox Twitter | Rare collector's items |
| Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico setting | FH5 map and seasonal events | FH5 still features Mexico, but original event rotated out |
I appreciate that Microsoft included Forza Horizon 4 even though Forza Horizon 5 was about to launch. It would have been easy to focus only on the new game. Instead, players who were still cruising around Britain got a reason to log in. It was a small gesture, but it mattered. It also showed how games can participate in cultural moments without reducing them to a simple skin. The artists involved—Sam Rodriguez, Juan Puente, and Axis—brought their own experiences and interpretations. Their work turned a console and a car into a conversation about heritage, loss, and joy.
Now, in 2026, I sometimes load Forza Horizon 5 just to drive through the fictional Mexican landscape at sunset. The marigold-colored skies and the echoes of that event remind me why live-service games can be both wonderful and frustrating. They create memories, but they also create deadlines. If you miss them, they become folklore. Still, I am glad I was there. I have the screenshots, the t-shirts, and the memory of a virtual Corvette that carried a holiday on its hood.
Would I want another Dia de los Muertos event in a future Forza game? Absolutely. But I would also love a way to revisit old limited-time content. Maybe one day, games will build digital ofrendas—small altars where past events can be remembered and replayed. Until then, I will keep driving, keep taking photos, and keep telling the story of that 2021 collaboration. It was not just a livery. It was a moment when a racing game paused to honor the dead and celebrate the living.