Why is there no Alfa Romeo in fh5? An in-depth look at a missing Italian icon

As a lifelong gearhead and Forza fanatic, I was eagerly anticipating the launch of Forza Horizon 5 last November. While FH5 delivers the open-world thrills fans expect, I couldn’t help but notice a gaping hole in the lineup – the absence of Alfa Romeo. As someone who lives and breathes all things automotive, I’ve done some digging into why this celebrated Italian brand is missing from the newest Forza title. Grab a cappuccino and strap in, as we take a deep dive into the significance of Alfa Romeo and the complex licensing challenges that may be keeping it out of FH5.

La storia dell‘Alfa – The legend of Alfa Romeo

You can’t fully appreciate Alfa’s absence in FH5 without first understanding the brand‘s mythical status in automotive history. Alfa Romeo is not merely another carmaker – it embodies the passion, flair and engineering genius of Italy better than any other marque.

Founded in Milan in 1910, Alfa‘s early history is filled with racing glory. Its crimson-painted RL and P2 cars were dominating races across Europe by the 1920s. Next came the iconic 8C 2300, which won the Mille Miglia endurance race from 1931-1934. Alfa subsequently powered Scuderia Ferrari (yes, the Ferrari team) to numerous Grand Prix victories before World War 2.

After the war, Alfa Romeo became a powerhouse for road as well as track. It mass-produced exciting performance coupes like the 1900 and Giulietta that became prized by connoisseurs. The curvaceous Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the most beautiful cars ever built.

By the 1960s and 70s, Alfa was scoring victories across sports car racing with the legendary Tipo 33. It also launched the wildly successful Alfetta sedan that introduced its key innovations like all-alloy boxer engines, inboard rear brakes, and deDion rear suspension.

Through all the ups and downs over a century in business, Alfa Romeo has maintained its mystique as an emotional, world-class driving machine. To millions of loyal tifosi worldwide, it signifies the sporting spirit, passion and creativity that defines Italian auto manufacturing at its finest.

Simply put, Alfa Romeo is a core pillar of automotive culture. The fact that it is missing from Forza Horizon 5, a game celebrating car culture, just feels wrong.

Model-by-Model: Alfas previously featured in Forza

To better grasp Alfa’s significance, let’s look back at which iconic models have appeared in Forza titles over the years:

• Forza Motorsport 3: The 8C Competizione marked Alfa’s return to sports car manufacturing after a prolonged absence. Its Ferrari-derived V8 engine and svelte styling made it an instant collectible.

• Forza Motorsport 4: The hot hatch Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde brought some Italian flair to FM4’s lineup. The agile MiTo hatchback also made its Forza debut.

• Forza Horizon: The gorgeous 8C Spider convertible succeeded the Competizione coupe in FH1. The Quadrifoglio Verde also slid back into the Horizon roster.

• Forza Motorsport 5: The mid-engined 4C coupe arrived to take the mantle from the 8C for Alfa‘s lightweight sports car presence. The Competizione coupe and Giulietta hot hatch also returned to FM5’s garages.

• Forza Motorsport 6: The achingly beautiful 33 Stradale finally joined a Forza lineup along with the vintage Giulia TZ2 racer. The radical 4C marked another FM entry.

• Forza Motorsport 7: The Giulia Quadrifoglio sport sedan and its crossover counterpart, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, brought some turbocharged power to FM7. The 4C marked its third Forza appearance.

• Forza Horizon 2: The 8C Spider and 4C were the Alfa representatives in FH2.

• Forza Horizon 3: Quadrifoglio versions of the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV marked Alfa’s sole entries in FH3.

As we fast forward to Forza Horizon 5, the well has unfortunately run dry. Next let’s explore the business realities that led to this Alfa drought.

Stellantis – Alfa Romeo‘s new corporate structure

The key to understanding Alfa Romeo’s absence in FH5 comes down to licensing and the brand‘s evolving corporate structure. In January 2021, Alfa‘s parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles officially merged with France‘s PSA Groupe, forming the new automotive giant Stellantis.

This massive 50/50 merger brought Alfa Romeo together under the same umbrella as Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Maserati, Peugeot and 12 other brands. The creation of Stellantis shuffled Alfa Romeo into a different business unit alongside Lancia and Fiat as part of the company’s focus on strengthening its European brands.

For Alfa Romeo, this new alignment has shaken up its licensing activities. All third-party licensing deals, including Forza, now need to be negotiated and approved at the Stellantis group level rather than directly through Alfa Romeo reps.

With such a major merger involving so many brands, this added layer of bureaucracy may have impacted the priorities around licensing Alfa Romeo IP to Forza Horizon 5. Corporate energy has been focused on strategic restructuring versus licensing deals.

The business challenges facing Alfa Romeo

Adding to the complexity is the fact that Alfa Romeo is facing severe business challenges which strained its former Fiat Chrysler parent company. Alfa sales peaked in 2015 before falling precipitously over the next four years. The brand sold only 55,000 vehicles globally in 2019 – an unacceptable volume for a luxury brand.

Reports indicated that Fiat Chrysler lost between $5,000 and $20,000 on every Alfa sold after factoring in design, engineering, and brand advertising costs. With profitability this poor, FCA was rumored to be considering selling or even killing Alfa Romeo entirely. These existential threats have contributed to an uncertain environment within Alfa HQ.

Now under Stellantis leadership, Alfa Romeo is embarking on a make-or-break revival effort bankrolled by 5 billion euros of promised investment. The focus is on transitioning to electrified powertrains while leveraging technologies and architectures shared across Stellantis brands to slash costs.

This all-hands-on-deck revival campaign is taking precedence over lower-priority initiatives like licensing and marketing. Alfa likely sees little benefit in expending resources to license its vehicles to Forza when its survival depends on successfully renewing its aging vehicle portfolio.

Until Alfa‘s revival starts bearing fruit, putting cars in Forza games may remain an afterthought versus the serious business challenges Alfa faces.

Forza Horizon 5 licensing – The challenges of securing IP rights

To include any real-world vehicle in a Forza title requires Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios to secure intellectual property licensing rights from manufacturers. For a brand managing over a dozen marques like Stellantis, this complex process may not have been deemed worthwhile for niche brands like Alfa Romeo whose sales are severely declining.

Obtaining licenses involves active outreach and relationship building between Microsoft‘s licensing managers and automaker reps. Considerations around fees, license scope, and usage rights must be negotiated to arrive at fair agreements. Manufacturers want assurances that their brands will be represented properly.

With Alfa Romeo sales down and its future uncertain, Stellantis may not yet see marketing through Forza as a priority initiative. The sudden merger disruption likely sidelined conversations around licensing Alfa IP. Until Alfa‘s production models multiply and its outlook improves, Forza may need to wait for Alfa‘s next chapter before securing the full licensing access it desires.

Bright spots: Hope for Alfa‘s return

Despite Alfa‘s absence from the FH5 lineup, all hope is not lost for future Forza inclusion. There are two promising lights at the end of the tunnel:

• Leaked access to the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 race car:

  According to leaked car lists, Playground Games has obtained licensing access to include the legendary Giulia TZ2 from the 1960s in a future FH5 update. While just one vintage racer, this suggests open dialogue around licensing certain Alfa vehicles. The door is cracked open for potential access to more modern Alfas.

• Alfa Romeo‘s upcoming product renaissance:

  Stellantis has committed 5 billion euros through 2030 to revitalize Alfa Romeo with new vehicles, electrified powertrains, and improved underlying architectures shared across Stellantis brands. This revival already bears fruit with the new Tonale small crossover arriving for 2024. An electric GTV sport coupe and large Palade 7-seat SUV are slated to follow. With fresh product incoming, Alfa Romeo is primed to come out swinging under Stellantis. New leadership could make licensing Alfa‘s IP a greater priority if sales and brand perception start trending positively again.

In summary, while the Alfa Romeo drought stings right now, the seeds of a Forza reunion are there. As Alfa blossoms with new vehicles, and Stellantis licensing talks resume, we could see the bello Italian marque return in all its glory. until then, I‘ll be proudly cruising Forza‘s Italian country roads in my vintage Giulia TZ2 awaiting the day Alfa fully returns.

Let me know if you have any other insights into Alfa‘s absence from Forza Horizon 5! I‘m always delighted to chat Italian performance cars with fellow enthusiasts. Ciao for now and may your Forza drives be sempre bello!