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Forza Horizon 6: All you need to know on the new open-world racing game
It's official, Forza Horizon 6 will soon continue the popular open-world racing game series, so read on to find out what the setting looks like and everything else you need to know.
There could hardly have been a more fitting setting than the 2025 Tokyo Game Show for Microsoft to finally officially announced a new instalment in the Forza Horizon series. Forza Horizon 6, the latest entry in the open-world racing game franchise, will continue the Horizon festival, only this time we head to Japan. Read on to find out all the information we have right now about Forza Horizon 6.
01
When will Forza Horizon 6 be released?
Forza Horizon 6 launches later this year on May 19 for Xbox Series X and S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam, and with Game Pass Ultimate – and as an Xbox Play Anywhere you can pick up your progress on whichever platform. Early Access for Premium Edition players will kick off on May 15, letting keen fans hit the tarmac a few days ahead of schedule. It's also slated for release on PlayStation 5 later in 2026, similarly to the previous entry in the series.
Forza Horizon 6 to be released on 19 May
© Xbox Game Studios
02
Who's developing Forza Horizon 6?
Forza Horizon 6 will once again be developed by the British team at Playground Games, supported by Turn 10 Studios - the creators of Forza Motorsport.
03
Where is Forza Horizon 6 set?
Connoisseurs of the series have reason to rejoice, because Forza Horizon 6 will finally feature a setting that fans have long wished for – Japan.
"Japan has long been at the top of Horizon fans' wish lists, so we're thrilled to finally be able to showcase this coveted location in Forza Horizon 6," revealed Art Director, Don Arceta on Xbox Wire.
Forza Horizon 6 aims to perfectly capture Japanese culture
© Microsoft
As in the previous instalments of the series, the developers want to ensure that they do justice to the country in terms of authentic representation and a fun open-world experience. Above all, the unique culture of Japan in terms of cars, music and fashion will be accurately represented in the racing game.
Specific details on the open world of the racing game are still pending, but Arceta revealed that the team's experience with the Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels DLC has been incorporated into the development of the elevated streets of Tokyo.
From Microsoft's January Developer_Direct, we've gleaned info that within the condensed reality of Japan that Playground Games has created there'll be gorgeous vistas of Mount Fuji, along with the metropolitan city of Tokyo to play around in, showcasing Shibuya Crossing, Ginko Avenue and Tokyo Tower to name a few. There's also a recreation of the iconic JDM meet-up showground, Daikoku, for you to show off your cars and hang out with other players.
Needless to say, there'll be plenty of Japanese delicacies to dig into.
04
You'll do Japan like a tourist
In Forza Horizon 6, you start as a tourist in Japan with the dream of attending the Horizon Festival. This is a completely new premise for the series and feels like a true reboot. "Ultimately, it's about the fact that many of us love the idea of traveling to an unknown place we're eager to discover," says Design Director Torben Ellert.
Forza Horizon 6 takes you to Japan
© Xbox Game Studios
“You have the motivation to come to Japan with the Horizon Festival, but initially you're just a fan – with the dream of one day being a part of it yourself. That was a great basis for us to create this open experience and explore the question: 'What are you willing to give up to travel to the other side of the world and make your dream come true?'"
05
Forza Horizon 6 map: What locations will there be?
Forza Horizon 6 will again offer a diverse open game world that can be travelled freely. Traditionally, the series relies on a compressed world that doesn't correspond to the real environment, but captures many elements of the respective country in order to offer as much variety as possible.
Tokyo can be explored in Forza Horizon 6
© Xbox Game Studios
This will also be the case in the latest instalment. Japan, with so many diverse and familiar locations, offers a huge range of possibilities. The surroundings of Mount Fuji will be depicted in the game, but there will also be the streets of Tokyo as well as the less well known rural and mountainous regions of Japan. Tokyo is said to offer the most detailed and multi-layered environment ever seen in a Forza Horizon game.
06
The new Collector's Journal system
Forza Horizon 6 features a new journal system for progression. The development team knew they wanted to retain the wristband progression system from previous Horizon games, where you level up in the Horizon Festival to unlock better cars and more challenging races. This time however Playground Games wanted to introduce an additional way to progress.
Explorers should have a real purpose and feel a deep connection to Japanese culture. The result: the Collector's Journal. Inspired by Japan's rich tradition of stamp collecting, it allows you to create a digital collection of mementos you discover as you explore Japan.
The journal adds a whole new dimension to exploration in Forza Horizon 6. It embraces the concept of freedom and demonstrates that these games are made for adventurers. It's also a highly customisable experience: you can take photos of murals, landmarks and other special places, and then save them in your journal to add a personal touch to your adventure.
Car Meets are going to be part of Forza Horizon 6
© Xbox Game Studios
07
Forza Horizon 6 introduces Car Meets
With the goal of creating an authentic racing experience that reflects both casual gatherings and professionally organised events, Forza Horizon 6 introduces 'Car Meets' – a feature deeply rooted in Japanese car culture.
These meetups are inspired by the Daikoku Car Meet, a world-renowned and often spontaneous gathering with no official events or participation requirements.
There are three permanent Car Meet locations in the game. One is located at the Horizon Festival, another in the Okuibuki parking lot in the Alps and the third, of course, in Daikoku itself. Here, you can meet other players, admire their cars, download custom liveries and designs, or even tune and customise your own vehicle.
08
What cars will Forza Horizon 6 offer?
A few details have trickled out about the vehicles in Forza Horizon 6 so far, including the cover stars, Toyota's 2025 GR GT Prototype and 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, but it was very important to the development team to accurately reflect Japanese car culture.
The iconic MADBUL RX7 shows what Japanese cars can do
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
"Although we can't reveal any specific details yet, we will of course follow in the footsteps of Forza Horizon 5 and offer a wide range of cars that players know and love," said Arceta.
At launch, there'll be around 550 different cars confirmed that you'll be able to collect, and from some media that has been released so far, we have spotted a wide range of vehicles, including multiple Nissan GT-R variants, Nissan's Z Nismo, Toyota's Supra and a classic AE86, a supercharged Mazda MX-5, and even a tiny, modified Honda e. As of writing, 93 cars make up the official car list on the official Forza website, which can be found right here.
09
Changing seasons in Forza Horizon 6
Since Forza Horizon 4, changing seasons have been an integral part of the game series, so it's natural to assume that they'll be back in Forza Horizon 6. Japan in particular is predestined for varied environments, as the Land of Smiles offers some of the most famous and beautiful seasonal changes in the world: sultry summers, snowy winters and, of course, the iconic sakura season.
Cherry blossoms are an iconic and unique Japanese feature
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The changing seasons in Forza Horizon 6 should not only provide visual variety, but also fundamentally change the gameplay. The team has developed a system in which seasonal changes really characterise the world and this applies to activities as well as sounds and other aspects.
Forza Horizon 6 launches on May 19 for Xbox Series X and S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam, and with Game Pass Ultimate, and later in 2026 for PlayStation 5.
