Forza Horizon 6 release date – Everything we know about the next installment of the Horizon series

Few genres quite manage to chain a sequel into a full-blown series that’s lauded by both players and critics alike as much as the humble driving game. And no series quite defines the genre in its modern form more than Forza Horizon, which is gearing up for its latest mainline installment in Forza Horizon 6.

Playground Games’ iconic series needs no introduction: a gorgeous open-world, nail-biting racing, a glut of sleek motors, and tons of engaging modes to pick from. Here’s everything you need to know about Forza Horizon 6, including a confirmed release date in the not-too-distant future.

Forza Horizon 6 release date

As confirmed during the January 2026 Xbox Developer Direct, Forza Horizon 6 is scheduled to release on May 19, 2026. Several leaks pointed to a Spring 2026 release, so this won’t come as a surprise to many.

Aside from one outlier, the Forza Horizon series has historically favored an Autumn release window. But with Xbox’s stacked year of releases and the looming arrival of GTA 6, presumably in November barring another delay, it seems Xbox is keen to give FH6 plenty of breathing room with a release earlier in the year.

Forza Horizon 6 gameplay and story

For the first time, Forza Horizon 6 is set in Japan, a brand-new destination for the series. It aims to blend Japan’s unique tapestry of jaw-dropping natural beauty and sprawling urban spaces, all tooled to be explored from the comfort of a car. 

Playground Games isn’t aiming to offer an accurate road-for-road facsimile of Japan, but rather “the essence of the place in a smoother, condensed reality.” It’s all about vibes.

The large map will be carved up into districts, including Tokyo, the series’ largest city yet, and a “complex and intricate drivable space”, the outskirts, docklands, the countryside, and mountains with iconic landmarks like the Shibuya crossing, Mount Fuji, and Tokyo Tower. These will be woven together by shortcuts and clever paths, allowing players to transition between these districts seamlessly.

Forza Horizon 6 also embraces Japan’s iconic car culture. Accompanying you on the journey are Mei, a veteran car builder, and Jordi, a motorsports enthusiast, for an insider’s perspective. 

The game will also feature car meets inspired by the spontaneous gatherings that define Japanese car culture, creating a social space and sense of community where you can meet other players, drool over motors, nab custom paint jobs, and even buy new cars.

Forza Horizon 6 will include over 500 cars at launch, including the 2025 GR GT Prototype cover car and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser.

As for the story, you begin as a humble tourist keen to make it to the Horizon festival in Japan, rather than dropping you in as a veteran pro. The idea is to offer a sense of progression that will appeal to both seasoned car enthusiasts and novices alike.

As design director Torban Ellert explains, “Ultimately, I think it really boils down to the fact that so many of us love that idea of going to a place that you don’t know, a place that you’re eager to discover,” Ellert says. 

“You have this motivation to go to Japan with the Horizon Festival, but you’re only attending as a fan, with a dream to take part in it. That felt like a great way to frame up that big open-door experience and explore the question of ‘what would it take for you to drop everything to fly to the other side of the world to pursue your dream?”

Forza Horizon 6 trailers

Playground Games has released three Forza Horizon 6 trailers to date, starting with the official teaser trailer at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2025. 

Keeping to tight minute, it reveals Japan as Forza Horizon 6’s chosen destination via a camera panning to several number plates from various locations featured in previous Horizon games before panning up to a vista of Mount Fuji framed by cherry blossom branches.

The developers followed this up with a gameplay teaser unveiled during the January 2026 Xbox Developer Direct broadcast. In this one, we catch the first glimpses of the cars in action, tearing down cherry blossom-lined streets, drifting up mountain passes, screeching across Tokyo’s elevated highways, bombing it down quiet country roads, and rocking up to iconic Japanese car meet spots.

The gameplay teaser was sided by the cover car reveal trailer, unveiling the 2025 GR GT as the motor set to feature on Forza Horizon 6’s cover art. It’s also an excuse to show off more of the game’s near-photorealistic recreation of Japan.

Forza Horizon 6 platforms

The confirmed Forza Horizon 6 platforms include Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam and Xbox on PC), Xbox Cloud, and Game Pass Ultimate. All these will be available day one at launch. Xbox and Playground Games have also confirmed that they are working to bring the driving sim to PS5, but not alongside the Xbox and PC versions. This will be at a later, as yet unconfirmed, date in 2026.

Pre-orders are now available (with a showy Ferrari as a gift for anyone who secures a copy early), and those who fork out for the Premium Edition will net themselves four days of early access. There are also Standard and Deluxe Editions available.

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