Forza Horizon 6 is out today on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and it is already turning heads. Developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, this sixth entry in the beloved open-world racing series takes the Horizon Festival to Japan – a setting fans have been requesting for years. The verdict from critics? Near-universal acclaim.
Japan Is the Biggest Horizon Map Yet
The game’s open world is the largest in the franchise’s history, centered on a stylised version of Tokyo that is five times larger than the city area in Forza Horizon 5. Multiple districts fill the urban sprawl – suburbs, iconic downtown streets, docks, and industrial zones – while the wider map stretches across mountain passes, rural roads, and coastal areas inspired by Japan’s most iconic driving locations.
Playground Games sent a team to Japan to capture real reference material: photogrammetry of trees and geology, scans of roads and buildings, time lapses of Japanese skies, and even the way fallen cherry blossoms respond to passing cars. The attention to detail is clear in the reviews.
550+ Cars, JDM Culture, and a New Campaign
At launch, Forza Horizon 6 ships with more than 550 cars, the largest day-one roster in series history. The cover cars are the 2025 GR GT Prototype – making its video game debut – and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, both fitting choices for a Japan-set adventure. Cars are now affected by cosmetic tyre wear, there are updated steering animations with up to 540 degrees of wheel rotation, and body kits arrive for select vehicles.
The campaign shakes things up too. You arrive in Japan not as a racing superstar but as a tourist, working your way through Horizon Qualifiers and rising through ranks to earn Wristbands. It’s a grounded, story-driven arc rooted in Japan’s car culture, with Horizon Showcases and new Horizon Rush obstacle course events along the way. Reach the Gold Wristband and you unlock access to Legend Island – an exclusive region with unique events and terrain.
New Social Features and Customisation
Multiplayer gets meaningful additions. Car Meets, inspired by iconic Japanese gatherings like Daikoku, let players show off cars, share tunes and liveries, and buy cars they spot. Touge Battles bring night-time mountain pass races to the open world, and Horizon CoLab enables multiplayer building in EventLab. Each Player House now includes a customisable Garage you can decorate and invite friends to visit.
Available on Game Pass Today
Forza Horizon 6 is available now on Steam and the Microsoft Store. It is included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass at no extra cost. Premium Edition players got four-day early access from May 15. A PS5 version is confirmed for later in 2026, with a wishlist available now on the PlayStation Store.
