Forza Horizon 6, Playground Games’ next open-world arcade racing game, will launch on PC and Xbox Series S/X on March 19. The studio shared an in-depth look at the game during an Xbox Developer Direct on Thursday, sharing details about gameplay and the game’s Japanese setting. Playground Games also confirmed that Forza Horizon 6 will launch on PS5 later in 2026.
Forza Horizon 6 debuted at the Tokyo Game Show in September and received a lot of attention during a developer livestream. This time the Horizon Festival goes to Japan, players will start as a tourist in the game and slowly accumulate their racing qualifications. Players will compete in the Horizon Festival by participating in qualifiers, then advance in tournaments across Japan and unlock wristbands.
“The biggest map yet”
Playground Games and Turn10 Studios have confirmed that Japan will be the largest open world map in the Forza Horizon series. The vast map will feature diverse biomes, unique regions, and seasonal changes. The map will also showcase the massive city of Tokyo, which will be the largest city ever featured in a Forza Horizon game, five times larger than the map in Forza Horizon 5.
Playground said Forza Horizon 6 will also highlight Japan’s rich automotive culture. There will be over 550 cars available for players to collect and customize when the game launches. Playground Games says they have overhauled the roster to achieve a better balance between all performance levels, including the introduction of a new R level for track racing.
Cars also react to their environment and experience wear and tear over time. The developers have also introduced updated steering animations into the game, with wheel rotation angles of up to 540 degrees.
Japan will be five times larger than the map in Forza Horizon 5
Photo credit: Microsoft/Playground Games
Forza Horizon 6 New Features
In addition to collecting wristbands to improve their rankings, players can also take advantage of a new feature called “Collection Diary.” Inspired by Japan’s philatelic history, the magazine will allow players to build a digital collection of memorabilia found across Japan.
In addition to the wealth of cars, players can also unlock houses in Forza Horizon 6, just like previous games in the series. There are eight player houses in Japan that serve as fast travel points and garages where you can customize your car. Players will be able to completely decorate this space and make it their own.
New additions to the game come in the form of estates, which are larger pieces of land that players can acquire and customize to their needs. The manor begins as an abandoned estate in the Japanese countryside, which players can slowly build and decorate on.
2025 GR GT prototype serves as Forza Horizon 6 cover car
Photo credit: Microsoft/Playground Games
“Forza Horizon 6” will also feature car parties, which are inspired by events such as the Daikoku Car Party in Japan. The game will include three car meet-up locations in the open world where players can gather and show off their wheels to friends online. Here, players can also meet other players online and start a convoy across Japan. They can download custom paint jobs and designs and purchase their favorite version of the car at the meeting.
Playground and Turn10 say Forza Horizon 6 will be the most accessible game in the series yet, with a deep set of accessibility features to help players of all types enjoy the game.
The studio also revealed two cover cars for Forza Horizon 6: the 2025 GR GT prototype and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser.
Forza Horizon 6 will be released on May 19th for PC (via Steam and the Xbox app on Windows) and Xbox Series S/X. It will be available on Game Pass Ultimate on day one. Playground says the racing game will be coming to PS5 later this year. Forza Horizon 6 is now available to pre-order on supported platforms and to be wishlisted on PS5.
The game will be available in Standard, Deluxe and Premium editions. Pre-ordering the premium version will be available four days in advance starting on May 15th.
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