FH2MP Multiplayer — Installation and Online Setup (v1.0.1)
Updated October 25, 2026. This guide covers FH2MP 1.0.1, the first-party launcher and its current FH2 Mod Platform-based setup. Older rc1–rc5 guides that refer to an FH2MP winmm.dll shim are outdated.
FH2MP is an unofficial community replacement for retired Forza Horizon 2 online services. It uses the Xbox One game running on PC through Azimuth and provides matchmaking, Online Free Roam, Car Meets, Road Trips, racing, Rivals, clubs, liveries and tune sharing.
Official project: FH2MP website | GitHub repository | Latest release | 1.0.1 release notes
FH2MP is not an official Microsoft/Xbox service. Use your own legally obtained Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One game files. The launcher does not include the game or Azimuth. FH2MP may still have network bugs, desync and crashes.
1. Requirements
•Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One build 1.0.0.64, already working in Azimuth 0.9.10. Other Azimuth builds are not confirmed compatible.
•Windows 10/11 x64, or Linux with a working Proton/Wine setup.
•Internet access for FH2MP registration, updates and online gameplay.
•FH2 Mod Platform 2.7.2 or newer, by Trinculo54. The launcher can install its supported build.
•FH2 Extra Options 0.2.98, by RokkuDayo. The launcher can obtain the supported build when needed.
•A backup of your working Azimuth folder and saves.
New to Azimuth? First complete our Azimuth setup tutorial. Confirm that the unmodded game starts before installing FH2MP.
2. Download the correct launcher
1. Open the official FH2MP Releases page.
2. Choose v1.0.1 or a newer supported stable release.
3. On Windows, choose FH2MP-Launcher-1.0.1-windows-x64-setup.exe (installer) or FH2MP-Launcher-1.0.1-windows-x64-portable.zip (portable).
4. On Linux, choose the corresponding .AppImage or amd64.deb package.
5. Extract the Windows portable ZIP before starting fh2mp-launcher.exe.
Do not manually install the standalone `fh2mp-shim-1.0.1.zip` for a normal setup. The launcher installs and updates the in-game mod automatically.
3. Connect Azimuth and install required components
1. Close Forza Horizon 2 and Azimuth.
2. Open FH2MP Launcher.
3. When prompted, select the Azimuth folder containing azimuth.exe (not your FH2 game-data folder).
4. Let the launcher set up its own signed FH2MP component and obtain the compatible FH2 Mod Platform and Extra Options versions if needed.
5. If it asks you to repair or update an old installation, follow the in-app instructions. Version 1.0.1 can repair legacy TLS-helper setups and missing Extra Options configuration.
Important change since the release candidates: FH2MP now runs through FH2 Mod Platform. The platform loader is d3dcompiler_47.dll beside azimuth.exe, and the FH2MP mod is fh2-mods/FH2MP.dll. Extra Options uses its own `winmm.dll`. Old instructions that tell you to replace Azimuth's azimuth-tls.dll or use FH2MP as a winmm.dll proxy should not be followed for 1.0.1.
The launcher manages those components: no manual DLL copying is required for standard installation.
4. Create your FH2MP profile
1. Choose a gamertag and optional profile picture.
2. Finish registration in the launcher.
3. Save your recovery code securely and privately. FH2MP has no conventional email/password login: your identity uses a local secret key, and the recovery code is how you can restore it on another PC.
4. Verify your settings, then press PLAY to start FH2 through FH2MP.
FH2MP can carry over progress from Azimuth, but your Azimuth default profile and FH2MP account save are distinct. Check your chosen profile before overwriting or transferring anything.
5. Join multiplayer
You do not have to host a server, open a private lobby or enter an IP address. FH2MP has its own matchmaking service.
•Car Meets: meet players and start Online Free Roam together.
•Online Free Roam: join other players, drive around and enter available events.
•Online Road Trip: drive to destinations, vote and join race/event modes (including King or Infection where available).
•Rivals and leaderboards: race for times, scores and rankings.
•Car Clubs, designs, tunes and photos: use the restored social and sharing features.
FH2MP remains community-operated and some features can still be incomplete or unstable. Check the project's issue tracker for current problems.
6. Play offline without changing accounts
Version 1.0.1 added an integrated solo mode:
1. Open FH2MP Launcher → Settings.
2. Enable Offline mode (solo play), then press PLAY.
3. To play offline only once, use Play offline from the Play menu.
4. Turn offline mode off when you want to reconnect online.
Offline and online play use the same FH2MP account save, but online services and server synchronization are disabled in offline mode. This is separate from launching plain Azimuth with its default profile.
7. Import, export or restore your saves
In FH2MP Launcher → Settings, open the new Save Manager to:
•Import an existing Azimuth save into the FH2MP account.
•Export the FH2MP save back to Azimuth.
•Select another profile or restore a backup.
Version 1.0.1 backs up both save locations before transfers. Read which direction the transfer goes before confirming it. Never rename, delete or manually overwrite save folders while the game is running.
8. Compatibility with other mods
FH2MP 1.0.1 runs beside compatible mods built for FH2 Mod Platform. The platform detects overlapping hooks instead of blindly combining them.
However, online mode uses FH2MP's server car database. Some car packs and other database modifications may be temporarily disabled while playing through the launcher. The project documents backup/restore behavior for modified database files, so keep a separate backup before changing large car packs.
Do not combine FH2MP with unrelated network replacements (such as Infinity Horizon or FH2Net) in the same setup unless their developers explicitly confirm compatibility. Separate Azimuth installations are safer for experimenting.
9. Linux / Steam Deck notes
FH2MP's Linux launcher uses Proton and may detect it automatically. If you run Azimuth through Steam rather than through FH2MP, the project documents this launch option for the Mod Platform and Extra Options DLLs:
text
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="winmm,d3dcompiler_47=n,b" %command%For custom Proton paths, prefixes or launch commands, use the launcher's Settings. The developer notes Proton-CachyOS testing; other Wine/Proton combinations may behave differently.
10. Troubleshooting
Update required / old launcher blocked
The server can reject outdated launchers or in-game components. Update using FH2MP Launcher, or download the latest installer/portable release. Do not reuse an rc2 DLL or an old shim.
Game crashes or freezes after connecting
First test FH2 through normal Azimuth. Then let FH2MP repair its dependencies, check mod compatibility and try without other modifications. Version 1.0.1 includes fixes for lobby crashes involving unsupported modded car parts, but crashes can still occur.
Saves appear missing or different
The launcher uses an FH2MP account profile that may be different from your default Azimuth profile. Use Settings → Save Manager and inspect the source/destination carefully. FH2MP 1.0.1 specifically improves importing saves and handling file permissions.
Online session fails or multiplayer is unstable
Check your connection and launcher's error message. Multiplayer bugs and desync remain possible; use the project's Issues page to check known problems. Avoid installing competing networking shims.
Collecting logs for a bug report
With Azimuth closed, check these paths inside your Azimuth folder:
•data/logs/azimuth.log and the newest .dmp in data/logs for a crash.
•data/bin/fh2mp.log if present.
•fh2-mods/platform.log and any reports in fh2-mods/crashes.
•data/azimuth.ini when troubleshooting modified settings.
The launcher log is under %LOCALAPPDATA%/FH2MP/cache/launcher.log on Windows, or ~/.cache/fh2mp/launcher.log on Linux. Check logs for sensitive information before sharing. The launcher can also offer an optional crash-report preview with redaction.
Official links and what's new in 1.0.1
•Latest downloads and release history
Major 1.0.1 additions: offline solo mode, a save manager, photo sharing/search, optional crash reports, and online lobby/leaderboard web features. Improvements include Mod Platform 2.7.2 setup and numerous profile, save, crash, event and Linux fixes.
You are ready to join the Horizon community!