Forza Horizon 6: Everything you need to know about the new Forza Horizon game set in Japan

Mt Fuji seen in the cinematic teaser for Forza Horizon 6.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Forza Horizon 6 is going to be putting us back behind the wheel of one of the best racing games series in 2026, and thanks to the recent Xbox Developer Direct, we now know when we'll get our hands on it.

On January 22, 2026, we finally got to see some Forza Horizon 6 gameplay as well as confirmation of a May release date. The showcase also showed off a handful of other big upcoming Xbox Series X games, but Forza Horizon 6 definitely stood out as one of the new games for 2026 that we are most excited for.

Forza Horizon 6 release date

Forza Horizon 6 screenshot from the teaser trailer showing the title for the game along with "coming in 2026" — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The Forza 6 Horizon release date is confirmed to be May 19, 2026. This news came our way during the recent Xbox Developer Direct showcase on January 22.

While this May date was just confirmed, it was actually in the wild for some time, thanks to it seemingly surfacing in an advertisement in Forza Horizon 5. Hopefully, no delays happen, but for now, it looks like we'll have our hands on the racer in just a few weeks. Pre-orders are also now live!

Forza Horizon 6 platforms

Forza Horizon 6 screenshot from the debut trailer showing a cat figurine next to a bowl — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Forza Horizon 6 is set to come to Xbox Series X and PC when it arrives in May, with a release on PS5 to follow "post-launch" later on this year.

That's right, Forza Horizon 6 is set to be a timed Xbox exclusive on console, which means that PS5 players will also be able to rev their engines down the line and hit the roads of Japan. We don't yet know how long after launch we can expect to see the PS5 version speed into the picture, but hopefully we'll learn more soon.

Forza Horizon 6 trailer

The very first Forza Horizon 6 trailer (which you can watch above) that dropped during Tokyo Game Show 2025 is a teaser in every sense of the word. Showing off the various locations we've seen throughout the series over the years, we see licence plates for the likes of Colorado, which set the scene for the first Forza Horizon, right on through to Mexico in Forza Horizon 5.

Then, the trailer ends with a shot over Mount Fuji to reveal the new setting of Japan, before the title appears for Forza Horizon 6. We then saw more of the game (including some cars!) in a teaser from the 2026 Xbox Developer Direct, which you can watch for yourself below.

Forza Horizon 6 - Official Gameplay Teaser Trailer - YouTube

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The clip above shows brief tracks, and also describes some gameplay details such as the campaign.

Forza Horizon 6 Japan setting

Forza Horizon 6 logo image with a backdrop showing a mountain in Japan

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Forza Horizon 6's Japan setting is set to let us drive around various landmarks and key points of interest, including Tokyo city. In an interview with GamesRadar+, art director Don Arceta and cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita revealed more about the work the team at Playground Games has done to capture not just the scenery of Japan, but its spirit and culture. Yamashita, who has lived in Japan and driven around it many times, worked closely with the team to, in the words of Arceta, be "authentic and respectful" in their approach to bringing to life Japan for Forza Horizon 6.

"We never set out to make a location one-to-one," Arceta says. "It's always capturing the spirit of the location, and trying to do that in an authentic way and obviously a respectful way. We use a lot of real life data as much as we can to build our world; so a lot of satellite data for the terrain, we take a lot of 3D scans of objects actually on location, a lot of reference photography. We capture skies. So, you know, there's a lot there that we take".

Not unlike the way Forza Horizon 5 strived to immerse us in the culture of Mexico, Forza Horizon 6 looks set to do much the same for Japan.

"Japan's a breathtaking location, but I think they'll be surprised just how much more of the culture we've tried to integrate into Horizon 6 outside of just the location," Arceta continues. "So obviously there's car culture, but there's different festivals and other cultural aspects that we actually wanted to inject a lot more into this game. I think we kind of dipped our toe in that a bit with Horizon 5. But working closely with Kyoko, I think people will be surprised; they'll probably learn a bit more about this location than they might expect."

Forza Horizon 6 gameplay

Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels DLC cars racing — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Thanks to the recent Xbox Developer Direct, we've finally seen some Forza Horizon 6 gameplay. We know that in its campaign, you'll start as a tourist and have to join the Horizon Festival and make your way up the ranks. You'll need to rank up to access an exclusive region called Legend Island as well, exciting times!

Thanks to our interview with Playground Games, there are some additional details we do know. For starters, Forza Horizon 6 promises to bring us the biggest map yet with its version of Japan. Describing the setting as a place that's "full of contrasts", Arceta also teased that the team has set out to create "new driving experiences that capture the location", with everything from "tight city streets", to "mountain roads and nice open plains".

The map is also said to not only be big, "but also dense", with so many things to see and do "around every corner". With the fullest map yet, it sounds like we can expect to have plenty of activities and races to get stuck into.

We also know that Tokyo city is going to be one of the key locations, which Arceta tells us is "complex and layered", and that it's the most ambitious city the team has created in the Forza Horizon 6 series so far. Arceta also points out the elevated roads it will feature, which were actually created by leveraging the technology used to make the Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels expansion, which featured looping orange tracks. Tokyo sounds especially fun to drive around it, with Arceta adding that it will offer "something new and fresh".

There are also a ton of new features, such as open-world options, new accessibility options and multiplayer options. Building is also going to be multiplayer, which is very exciting!

Getting stuck into Playground Games' last adventure? Be sure to check out these helpful Forza Horizon 5 tips.

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