At the first Xbox Developer Direct of 2026, Playground Games announced the first details about Forza Horizon 6, the upcoming installment in one of the most popular racing franchises. The previous leak also turned out to be true, with the game now confirmed for release on May 19, 2026, and early access on May 15, 2026.
Forza Horizon 6 takes players to Japan, where they begin their racing careers as tourists, not a festival superstar like in the previous installment of the game. Developers say their goal was not to recreate Japan one-to-one, but rather to “capture the essence of the place in a smoother, condensed reality.” You will get to drive in various districts, such as suburbs on the outskirts of Tokyo, narrow streets, industrial spaces, downtown areas with iconic landmarks, and twisted mountain roads.
Like in the previous Horizon games, Forza Horizon 6 will let you buy eight houses across the map. This time, however, you can customize your garages, showcase specific cars, and even build on a much bigger piece of land. You can build your own track to race with friends, a mountain hideaway, or something else using in-game credits.
Car Meets are finally back from the early versions of Forza Horizon. Players can show up at three locations where Car Meets take place, check out their cars, download custom liveries, purchase cars, and socialize. Additionally, you will be able to discovery uniquely tuned cars across the map.
Forza Horizon 6 will launch with 550 different vehicles. The game’s cover car is the new 2025 Toyota GR GT Prototype and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser.
Forza Horizon 6 is now available for preorder on Steam and in the Microsoft Store. The most expensive Premium Edition will let you play four days earlier, starting May 15. All the other games will unlock on May 19. The game is also coming to PlayStation, but there is no specific date for that. Like all of Microsoft’s first-party games, Forza Horizon 6 will be in Game Pass Ultimate on day one.
