Forza Horizon 6 is an upcoming racing game developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the sixth Forza Horizon title, following Forza Horizon 5, and the fourteenth main instalment in the Forza franchise overall. It is set in a fictionalised representation of Japan and features a stylised version of Tokyo as the game world's main city. It is scheduled to be released on 19 May 2026 for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, with a later release for PlayStation 5.
Forza Horizon 6 is an open worldracing game, and is set in Japan. The game's map is the franchise's largest and the Tokyo City area is considered to be the franchise's "most complex and intricate drivable space", being five times larger than any other Horizon city.[1] Similar to Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5, the game features a dynamic weather system that reflects seasonal changes.[2] Players begin as a tourist and must work their way up to qualify for the Horizon Festival, eventually rising through its ranks. The wristband progression system from previous entries returns. Players earn wristbands by completing races and events, unlocking better and faster cars along the way. Reaching the gold wristband grants access to Legend Island, a special area featuring unique challenges and exclusive races.[3]
The game launches with over 550 cars, all of which can be extensively customised. Players can store unlocked vehicles in one of eight garages, which also serve as fast travel points. Additionally, players can unlock "the Estate," a customisable mountainside property in rural Japan which can be decorated with various items and objects.[4] As players explore the open world, they can join events such as car meets where vehicle customisations can be shared with others, street racing, and touge battles. Players can also photograph points of interest, with these shots stored as stamps in a Collection Journal.[5]
Development
Forza Horizon 6 is being developed by Playground Games with assistance from Turn 10 Studios.[6] Japan was chosen as the game's setting due to its popularity among fans, who frequently requested it.[7] Playground Games felt that Forza Horizon 6 was the right time to accurately represent Japan due to not feeling technical limitations would be an obstacle in that goal.[8] In choosing Japan as a location, art director Don Arceta noted the "unique culture" of Japan and that it is a location "full of contrast", with urban areas in the game juxtaposed against mountainous roads and open fields.[9] Japan also experiences dramatic seasonal changes from the cherry blossoms blooming during Sakura season to snowy winters that can have a "dramatic impact on the landscape and playable world" according to Arceta. Seasonal changes also have cultural meaning in Japan.[8] According to Arceta, the game's map is not a one-to-one recreation of Japan, much like with the maps of past entries' locations, as the team wanted to "capture the country's unique cultural essence" instead.[7] The city of Tokyo was described as the "biggest urban area yet" in a Forza Horizon game, being five times larger than the urban areas in previous titles. Within Tokyo, there are distinct districts with their own identity and city landmarks such as Shibuya Crossing, Ginko Avenue, and Tokyo Tower are featured.[10] Tokyo's urban areas will vary in density from the neon-lit streets downtown to suburbs and industrial docklands.[11] The team's prior experience developing the Hot Wheels expansion for Forza Horizon 5 also helped the team developing Tokyo's elevated highways.
Kyoko Yamashita was hired as a cultural consultant for the project.[7] The team travelled to Japan for location research with Yamashita where they witnessed Japanese car culture firsthand. Forza Horizon 6 represents to Japanese car culture with urban street racing and Daikoku car meets.[12]
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