"The Eliminator
Battle to be the last one standing!"—In-game description
The Eliminator is a player versus player multiplayer battle royale game mode in Forza Horizon 4, in which up to 72-players face-off against each other in a shrinking arena until only one player remains.
Participants are limited to only single players and entry to the The Eliminator is unlocked after a player completes the Tarn Hows Scramble event during the pre-wristband Autumn season.
It was made available as part of Update 17, released on December 12, 2019, after being announced during the "Forza Monthly - December Edition" livestream on December 11, 2019.[1]
Prior to the "Forza Monthly - December Edition" livestream, a Playground Box Truck with branding for The Eliminator and a 'SOON' license plate was introduced as a traffic vehicle with Update 16, and could be found driving along roads in Britain.[2] Another teaser was shared by the official Playground Games twitter account on December 9, 2019, it involved team members investigating connections between the Toyota Supra RZ, the Wind Farm, and wild cougars.[3]
Players can enter The Eliminator by either driving to its start location in the middle of the Moorhead Wind Farm, located north of the Mudkickers Adventure Park and south of The Great Ridge, or through the Horizon Life section of the pause menu.
Matchmaking
Each session of The Eliminator includes up to a total of 72-players, all of which are battling against each other to be the last remaining player in the session, and be dubbed 'The Eliminator.'
Players can enter The Eliminator by either driving to its start location in the middle of the Moorhead Wind Farm or through the Horizon Life section of the pause menu.
Joining a session of The Eliminator does not require a player to have any specific cars nor be at any level beyond having completed the career prologue, as all players are given a specially tuned level 1 1965 Mini Cooper S.
As players enter a session, they are grouped together through matchmaking, and once a session has reached a sufficient number of participants, a session of The Eliminator will begin.
Arena
The arena is determined by a dome circumferencing an area of Britain, but it is not present during the initial few minutes of a session. As players spawn at their start locations, they're given an opportunity to explore their vicinity for other drivers to challenge and car drops to inspect before the first stage of the arena is outlined.
Players are notified of the arena shrinking with either a timer counting down to its next reduction or a notification if it is currently shrinking in the top-left corner of their HUD. During the last 10 seconds of a shrinkage countdown, a notification is shown in the center of the player's HUD to inform then that the arena is about to begin shrinking.
Once the arena has begun shrinking, a klaxon will sound and the announcer will alert players that the arena has begun shrinking. The rate in which the arena shrinks differs depending on the number of players in a session and the current stage players are at in that session.
The arena itself is shown to the player as a large pink dome with white crosses and is shown high into the sky, and the current edge of the dome is shown as a solid pink circle with hatching along the outside.
A projected dashed pink circle is used to highlight the the edge of the arena following the completion of its next stage of shrinking.
Players are given a dashed pink line from their map arrow to the edge of the projected arena circle, if they are outside of the next projected arena stage.
Timeout
A Timeout meter appears in the top-left corner of the player's HUD should they leave the confines of the arena during a session of The Eliminator, and they will be eliminated should they build up too much cumulative time outside of the arena, in which they will be timed out of their session.
Up to 60 seconds can be built up outside of the arena in a player's Timeout meter, but the time incurred can not be removed or reduced, as it is cumulative across all stages of their current session in The Eliminator. During stage 4 of the arena, players will incur a greater built up of time towards a timeout outside of the arena.
Outside of the arena, players build up time towards their Timeout meter, and they will be eliminated should they meter be completed filled. The player's view outside the arena is desaturated to a near monochromatic point with excessive use of chromatic aberration.
Hiding
Players can hide from other drivers by stopping their current vehicle and waiting for their mini-map arrow to darken, and they will not appear on the mini-map of other drivers, but their vehicle can still be seen by other drivers.
Drivers can hide for as long as they wish, as those hiding don't appear on the mini-map for those not hiding or other drivers currently hiding, but they can still be eliminated by a timeout outside of the arena and challenged to a Head-to-Head by any other driver.
Head-to-Head
Head-to-Head events in The Eliminator are one-on-one sprints to a random finish point within an arena, and is only between two players per event, with neither participant being allowed to reject a challenge. The winner is the first driver to reach the placed finish point.
Players can challenge other drivers to a Head-to-Head by being close enough to them for a prompt to appear to challenge them. At which point, either player can challenge the other by looking at their vehicle and honking their horn.
Once a driver has been challenged, both players are shown that they are driving against each other with a versus screen, as well as which cars they are driving and the respective levels of each car.
After which, the finish point they are both competing against each other to reach is shown in the world with tall checkpoint mark, an icon of its direction and location on the map, and a possible route on the mini-map using mapped routes.
Finish points are typically placed closer to the arena wall at various stages, and may force players to race outside of the arena during a contraction.
The first player to reach the finish point is the winner, and they are given a choice for their reward of either taking their opponents car by pressing right or increasing their current car level by one by pressing left, and may also choose to cancel receiving a reward by pressing down. Regardless of which choice the winner makes, the losing driver is eliminated from the current session.
Final Showdown
The Final Showdown is large scale Head-to-Head event that occurs as the final event in a session of The Eliminator. It is triggered during stage 4 and pits all drivers against each other to reach a finish point placed outside of the stage 4 arena.
The driver that reaches the finish point of the Final Showdown first is the winner of that session of The Eliminator.
A thirty second countdown prior to the start of the Final Showdown will block any players from challenging other drivers to a Head-to-Head and will cancel any current Head-to-Head events without either participant being eliminated.
Stages
Start Location
Once a session of The Eliminator has begun, players have 10 seconds to select a location on the map they wish to begin from.
All of Horizon Britain map is open and any point can be selected as the player's start point, as the arena circle has not yet been placed.
As soon as the player picks a start location, they will spawn at their selected point in Britain. However, failing to select a start point in time will spawn the player at the location their reticule was hovering over on the map or a nearby location to their reticule.
Stage 1
Stage 1 of the arena occurs shortly after all participants have chosen their start location and successfully entered their session of The Eliminator. This is the first point in which the arena appears within Britain during The Eliminator and will pull players into a location roughly half the size of Britain's map.
It will shrink from outside of the Britain to the size of the projected dashed circle on the payer's map.
The arena will shrink at a slow rate entering stage 1, as players joining the session may still be spawning at their start location, and many players are likely still driving the 1965 Mini Cooper S.
Stage 2
Stage 2 of the arena occurs two minutes after the arena has reached the projected dashed circle for stage 1, and will pull players into a location roughly a quarter the size of Britain's map.
The arena will begin to shrink to the current projected dashed circle, once the count down has completed, and its central point may not be the same as the center of stage 1, resulting in some areas of stage 1's arena being further outside the stage 2 arena than others.
Stage 3
Stage 3 of the arena occurs one minute and forty-five seconds after the arena has reached the projected dashed circle for stage 2, and will pull players into a location roughly an eighth the size of Britain's map.
The arena will begin to shrink to the current projected dashed circle, once the count down has completed, and its central point may not be the same as the center of stage 2, resulting in some areas of stage 2's arena being further outside the stage 3 arena than others.
Stage 4
Stage 4 of the arena occurs one minute and thirty seconds after the arena has reached the projected dashed circle for stage 3, and will pull players into a location roughly an sixteenth the size of Britain's map.
The arena will begin to shrink to the current projected dashed circle, once the count down has completed, and its central point may not be the same as the center of stage 3, resulting in some areas of stage 3's arena being further outside the stage 4 arena than others.
It is the final size of the arena, with players incurring a greater amount of time towards their timeout should they leave the arena, and the Final Showdown is triggered between twelve to eight drivers left during stage 4.
Final Showdown
The Final Showdown is the last stage of The Eliminator, with it being highlighted to players by both the announcer and a thirty second countdown timer. At which point, head-to-head events are disabled and players are notified to prepare for the final race.
Once the countdown timer expires, all players are given the same finish location to race and it will be placed at a location outside of the stage 4 arena.
The first player to reach the finish location of the Final Showdown is the winner of that session of The Eliminator and is dubbed 'The Eliminator.' All other drivers in that Final Showdown are given their finishing position for that session of The Eliminator based on their distance from the finish location of the Final Showdown.
Car Levels
All cars in a session of The Eliminator are given to players by either beating other drivers in Head-to-Head events or from Car Drops.
Each car has a specific car level and is used to signify its performance rating compared to other cars used in The Eliminator.
During the start of The Eliminator, all players are given the same level 1965 Mini Cooper S, but they can choose their own means of upgrading to higher level or other cars of the same level. Players also have the option of regressing to a lower car level through the same means of reaching a higher car level.
Cars at the same car level have typically the same performance rating although different vehicles in the same car level could be better suited to a player's current circumstances.
Car Drops
Car Drops are shown as hovering drones formed together in a triangular shape with The Eliminator branded banners and continually fire out confetti. They are never shown on the map and are only pronounced in The Eliminator from their purple smoke flairs.
Approaching a Car Drop will display the car level and vehicle offered for collection above the hovering drone. Driving beneath it will show a prompt and allow a player to collect the vehicle offered by the Car Drop.
Car Drops can not be collected during a Head-to-Head event or during the Final Showdown.
Cars
| Lvl | Cars |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 |
Tier Rewards
Completing sessions of The Eliminator will reward players with credits and influence towards their driver level.
Players will also be rewarded with influence specifically for their level in The Eliminator, which can be viewed from The Eliminator list within the player's Horizon Life section of the pause menu.
| Tier | Influence | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Earn 0 influence | |
| Tier 2 | Earn 1,000 influence | Car: Toyota Supra RZ |
| Tier 3 | Earn 21,000 influence | Quick Chat: "PREPARE TO BE ELIMINATED!" |
| Tier 4 | Earn 43,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Tee |
| Tier 5 | Earn 67,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Away Jumper |
| Tier 6 | Earn 93,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator 'E' Beanie |
| Tier 7 | Earn 121,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Jacket |
| Tier 8 | Earn 151,000 influence | Quick Chat: "I HAVE THE HIGH GROUND" |
| Tier 9 | Earn 183,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator 'E' Cap |
| Tier 10 | Earn 217,000 influence | Car: Mégane R26.R |
| Tier 11 | Earn 253,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Logo Race Suit |
| Tier 12 | Earn 290,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Logo Tee |
| Tier 13 | Earn 328,000 influence | Quick Chat: "OH? ARE YOU APPROACHING ME?" |
| Tier 14 | Earn 367,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Home Jumper |
| Tier 15 | Earn 407,000 influence | Car: Ford F-150 Prerunner DeBerti Design Truck |
| Tier 16 | Earn 448,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Beanie |
| Tier 17 | Earn 490,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Logo Jacket |
| Tier 18 | Earn 533,000 influence | Quick Chat: "A NEW FOE HAS APPEARED!" |
| Tier 19 | Earn 577,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Cap |
| Tier 20 | Earn 622,000 influence | Car: Porsche 911 GT3 RS Pre-Order |
| Tier 21 | Earn 668,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Race Suit |
| Tier 22 | Earn 715,000 influence | Clothing Item: Eliminator Pattern Tee |
| Tier 23 | Earn 763,000 influence | Quick Chat: "I AM THE ELIMINATI" |
| Tier 24 | Earn 812,000 influence | Car: Mercury Cougar Eliminator |
| Tier 25 | Earn 862,000 influence | Wheelspin: Horizon Wheelspin |
April 7, 2020 - Update 21
- Eliminator
- The following have been removed from Eliminator thanks to your votes. There will be no more wins for this brave list of cars:
- Level 2: Hillman Imp
- Level 3: Unimog
- Level 4: Mercedes G 63 6x6
- Level 5: Hummer H1 Alpha Open Top
- Level 6: Bentley Bentayga
- Level 7: Bentley Continental
- Level 8: Ford M-Sport Fiesta RS
- Level 9: Funco Motorsports F9
- Level 10: Isha’s Taxi
- The following have been removed from Eliminator thanks to your votes. There will be no more wins for this brave list of cars:
- Cross-Platform Fixes
- Extended the time information is visible in The Eliminator's elimination feed
March 10, 2020 - Update 20
- Cross-Platform Fixes
- Changed the distance to destination in The Eliminator to be as the crow flies, rather than following the road network
- Reduced the chance of a Head-to-Head in The Eliminator ending up outside of the Arena wall
February 10, 2020 - Update 19
- The Eliminator Round 3 - Patrol & Pursuit
- For Round 3 of the Eliminator, we’ve added a selection of cars that specialise in chasing down their prey. All vehicles in this update are fitted with patrol lights, and some have extensive upgrades to give you the edge!
- Level 2: 1959 Jaguar Mk II 3.8
- Level 2: 1966 Hillman Imp
- Level 3: 2010 Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor
- Level 3: 1996 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport
- Level 4: 2014 Volkswagen Golf R
- Level 6: 2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
- Level 7: 2015 Audi RS 6 Avant
- Level 7: 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C
- Level 8: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
- Level 9: 2016 BMW M4 GTS
- Level 9: 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Level 9: 2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV
- Level 10: 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
January 13, 2019 - Update 18
- The Eliminator Round 2 - The Horizon Heavyweights
- They’re big, they’re powerful, they’re the Horizon Heavyweights, joining the Eliminator for Round 2. We’ve added 9 new cars to The Eliminator, with one in each Level, from 2 to 10. The new cars will appear alongside other Car Drops in the world, so get to them before anyone else does. Remember, only the finish line matters!
- Top Gear Track-Tor
- Mercedes Benz Unimog
- Mini X-Raid
- Hummer Open Top
- Quartz Regalia D
- M12S Warthog CST
- Jeep Wrangler DD
- Funco F9
- Isha's Offroad Taxi
December 19, 2019
- Eliminator Balance Changes
- Significantly increased the damage to the players outside the Arena when it has shrunk to its final size.
- Eliminator Fixes
- Fixed an issue where players were unable to challenge other players to a Head-to-Head
- Added the ability to reset your car position if stuck in a way which does not trigger the automatic reset
- If you find yourself stuck, hold accelerate, and you will be prompted to reset your car position
- Fixed the issue with some Head-to-Head races having their finish line appear outside of the Arena
- Fixed an issue with the post-race upgrade UI, where the D-pad icon was not appearing as intended
- Fixed an issue where if one player was eliminated by the arena whilst in a Head-to-Head, both players would be eliminated.
- Fixed an intermittent crash
December 16, 2019
- Eliminator
- Fixed an issue where players were able to join an in progress Eliminator session via the convoy invite system.
December 12, 2019 - Update 17: "The Eliminator"
- New Features
- The Eliminator
- "The Eliminator" brings battle royale to Forza Horizon 4, Up to 72 players face off in the open world of Britain within a set arena boundary, eliminating one another in head-to-head races to earn new upgrades and a chance to pick up rare Car Drops. Arena walls contract throughout the game, forcing players closer together until a final white-knuckle race among the survivors determines the winner.
- The Eliminator
References
- ↑ Video: Forza (2019) Forza Monthly | December Edition. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFyenitAntU
- ↑ Website: forums.forzamotorsport.net (2019) ELIMINATOR? WHAT IS IT? Available at: https://forums.forzamotorsport.net/turn10_postst159460_ELIMINATOR---What-Is-It.aspx
- ↑ Tweet: @WeArePlayground (2019) "Working out the mysteries in this month's #TorbenTuesday...". Available at: https://twitter.com/WeArePlayground/status/1201818549070835712