The recent Xbox Developer_Direct gave us the first proper look at gameplay for the upcoming release of Forza Horizon 6, and boy, was it pretty. We are really looking forward to getting our hands on it, and there’s finally not too long to wait now. In the meantime, we’ve compiled this handy guide of everything we know about the game so far so you can get your Forza fix in before the main launch.
Everything we know about Forza Horizon 6:
Release Date, Platforms and Pricing
The official launch date for Forza Horizon 6 is May 19th, 2026, and it will be available Day One on Xbox Game Pass. The Premium Edition launches offering Early Access from May 15th, 2026. The game will release initially onto Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a PlayStation release coming later this year.
Players can preorder Forza Horizon 6 right now, and will receive a bonus of an exclusive pre-tuned Ferrari J50 which can be redeemed at launch.
If you don’t subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, the pricing for Forza Horizon 6 will be as follows:
Forza Horizon 6: $69.99/£59.99
Forza Horizon 6 Deluxe Edition: $99.99/£89.99
Forza Horizon 6 Premium Edition: $119.99/£109.99
Game Pass Subscribers can upgrade to the Premium Edition for $59.99/£59.99
Setting and Location
For the first time in series history, Forza Horizon 6 takes place in Japan – a location long requested by fans. The map is the largest in the franchise’s history and features stunning urban and rural locations. Per the team at Xbox Wire “Forza Horizon 6’s sprawling, impressive map is separated into distinct districts, instantly recognizable as soon as you approach. The suburbs are dotted on the outskirts of Tokyo; narrow, undulating streets with telephone wires sweeping overhead, connecting clusters of modest homes.
Tokyo also has a docklands district, an industrial space piled high with huge cranes and colossal freighters, and there’s a delightful dichotomy between the looming, brutalist architecture built for tiny, bubbly city cars to zip around in.
There’s also the iconic downtown area, where you’ll see Shibuya Crossing, Ginko Avenue and Tokyo Tower – breathtaking landmarks bound together by dense urban streets, clever shortcuts and hidden paths, but all designed to support Horizon’s typically fast gameplay.”
The representation of Tokyo in Forza Horizon 6 has been confirmed to be five times larger than the main city in Forza Horizon 5, and you will be able to spot iconic locations such as Mount Fuji during play. The game will also change with the seasons, so players get a real feel of Japan. Playground Games collaborated with a Japanese Cultural Consultant as well as artists and voiceover talent to ensure authenticity and accurate showcasing of the beautiful country of Japan.
The Estate:
When you start playing Forza Horizon 6, you can unlock ‘The Estate’, a completely empty piece of land within a mountain valley. You will be able to build anything you want here and all constructions will be permanent and able to be seen by friends who join you game session. It looks ridiculously detailed, and this beyond being able to buy houses and garages in the game.
Cars and Customisation
There will be over 550 cars in Forza Horizon 6 at launch, more than in any other game in the series. There are also some brand-new mechanics to test out such as updated steering animation, expanded livery options and even cosmetic tyre wear. Here’s a bit more about the cars per the team at Playground Games “The Forza Horizon 6 cover features the 2025 GR GT Prototype, which is making its video game debut in Forza Horizon 6, and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser. Purchase any edition of the game before launch to get a pre-order bonus in game – a pre-tuned, exclusive Ferrari J50. At launch, we will have more than 550 cars for you to collect and customize. Forza Edition cars also return to Forza Horizon 6, and this time, these special cars have been fitted with extreme modifications. We’ve also fully overhauled our roster to be better balanced across all performance classes, including our new R Class specifically introduced for track-focused cars. You can check out a full list of the cars featured in gameplay during the Xbox Developer_Direct here.
Forza Horizon 6 features an updated version of Forza Aero, meaning you can customise your car with different liveries, as well as adding body kits and rims.
Forza Horizon 6 Cover Car
Per the developers, “The new GR GT makes its video game debut as the official cover car of Forza Horizon 6, the next entry in the critically acclaimed open world driving series. The 2025 GR GT Prototype is the perfect example – a race-derived road car that combines motorsport performance with road-going excellence, and Forza Horizon 6 is the ideal place to experience the most modern iteration of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s relentless pursuit of Japanese engineering perfection.“
Gameplay and Features
You begin the game as a tourist in Japan and compete in the Horizon Festival Campaign, earning wristbands along the way by playing qualifiers and races. You will eventually reach Legend Island, which is an exclusive area containing unique challenges and events.
Seasonal systems mean that terrain, weather and lighting will change according to when in the year you are playing, and there are many classic events returning to the franchise such as street races, drag meets and showcases. During these car meets, players will be able to show off their cars and download and trade liveries. These features should be supported by cross-play and cross-save across Xbox and PC. A new feature coming to Forza Horizon 6 is a multiplayer world creation tool for maximum customisation as you play with your friends.
Car meets are now an integral part of Forza’s shared open world, meaning you will be able to drive past a meet, and join instantly if you so wish.
Accessibility Features
There are tons of accessibility features in Forza Horizon 6, including high contrast modes, an autodrive feature (in case you just want to admire the view), a car proximity radar and video support in both ASL and BSL. There will be voiceover and text support available in the following languages:
- English US
- German
- Italian
- Spanish
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Mexican Spanish
- Japanese
- Korean
- Traditional Chinese
- Simplified Chinese
There’s no doubt about it – Forza Horizon 6 looks to be an absolute triumph of game design. We are counting down the weeks until it releases, and it will definitely be taking up a lot of our time in May. Stay tuned for a full XboxEra review at launch!
How do you feel about Forza Horizon 6? Let us know in the XboxEra Forums or make some noise in the lively XboxEra Community Discord Server. If you’re looking to be a bigger part of an amazing community, then either choice is a good one!
Support Our Team
XboxEra is a community-first, community funded publication. If you value what we do, and want to have a direct say in what we cover, consider supporting us directly on Patreon.
All you need to do is head on over to patreon.com/xboxera and for less than a cup of coffee a month, you’ll help keep this publication alive. As a bonus, you’ll find that we create more content than many other Patreon supported publications, and we give more back in return.
So go on, do something awesome.
