After the prologue, your main goal is to earn Influence and progress through the Horizon Festival tiers. Influence is gained by participating in almost any activity: racing, exploring, performing stunts, creating liveries, or even just driving around. Each tier unlocks new event types, PR Stunts, and eventually, the ability to participate in the weekly seasonal changes.
Earning Influence:
- Races: Completing any race, regardless of position, grants Influence. Winning or performing well grants more.
- PR Stunts: Speed Traps, Speed Zones, Danger Signs, and Drift Zones are excellent for quick Influence gains.
- Exploration: Discovering new roads, smashing Bonus Boards, and finding Barn Finds all contribute to your Influence.
- Skill Chains: Performing drifts, jumps, and near misses in succession builds skill chains, which convert to Influence.
- Forzathon Live: Participating in these hourly events offers substantial Influence and Forzathon Points.
- Rival Events: Competing against ghost cars on leaderboards can also earn Influence.
The more Influence you earn, the faster you'll unlock new content. The game is designed to reward you for simply playing and enjoying the open world.