Many Forza Horizon 5 players are currently racing open world in their Hoonigan cars to pay homage to rally legend Ken Block.
Ken Block, a professional rally racer who starred in several video games Need for Speed, Forza and Dirt, died earlier this week in an accident near his ranch in Woodland, Utah. He was only 55.
In addition to his popular YouTube channel, Block also founded his own Monster World Rally Team in 2010 as a platform that allowed him to compete at the World Championship level, winning several podiums in the process. The team was renamed Hoonigan Racing Division in 2013, and over the years several modern rally cars and updated classic cars have carried the Hoonigan name in real life and in games such as Forza Horizon 5.
Forza Horizon 5 includes a dozen Hoonigan cars, including the 1986 Hoonigan Ford RS200 Evolution, the 1992 Hoonigan Mazda RX-7 “Twerkstallion” and the 1994 Hoonigan Ford Escort RS Cosworth WRC “Cossie V2”.
After Block’s death, Forza Horizon 5 players started using Hoonigan cars to remember the legend (via The Loadout).
I was gonna go to bed but I'm gonna hop on Forza & drive a Hoonigan instead. Hoping to spot some others doing the same #43
— gengar bby👻 💜 (@avianoir) January 3, 2023
Thank you Mr Block. #kenblock #rip #hoonigan #forza #ForzaHorizon5 #twitch #youtube pic.twitter.com/mEsy5mJw8P
— HELLFIRE 506 (@506Hellfire) January 4, 2023
Hoonigan Racing also honored Block’s memory after his death.
“It is with the deepest regret that we can confirm that Ken Block died today as a result of a snowmobile accident,” the statement said. “Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, father and husband.”
Hoonigan Racing added that the Block will be “incredibly missed” and asked fans to “respect the privacy of the family at this time while they grieve.”
“Devastating news about the loss of Ken Block — he was a motorsport legend, and he will be greatly missed,” the Forza Horizon Twitter account wrote. “Our deepest condolences to his family and The Hoonigans team.”
The Forza Motorsport Twitter account added that the Block had “a huge impact on the motorsport community around the world.”
