Get Ready to Race in Japan: Forza Horizon 6 Unveiled!
During the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025 broadcast, the highly anticipated next installment in the racing series, Forza Horizon 6, was officially unveiled. As many fans had hoped, the game will be set in the vibrant landscapes of Japan and is scheduled for a 2026 launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Excitingly, a PlayStation 5 release is also planned to follow later. While it’s still early days for this exhilarating new chapter, here’s a comprehensive look at everything we know about Forza Horizon 6 so far.
When Can We Expect Forza Horizon 6?
Mark your calendars! Forza Horizon 6 is officially slated for a 2026 release. While a precise launch date within that year is still under wraps, eager fans can already add it to their wishlists.
Platforms: Will It Be On PlayStation 5?
Forza Horizon 6 is actively in development for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a PlayStation 5 version confirmed to arrive sometime post-launch. This exciting cross-platform move aligns with Microsoft’s evolving strategy of bringing its exclusive titles to rival consoles, a trend recently highlighted by the announcement of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 for PS5. There are even reports suggesting that Microsoft might eventually expand its releases to include all its major games on the PS5 platform.
Is Forza Horizon 6 Coming to Game Pass?
Absolutely! As a brand-new title from Xbox Game Studios, Forza Horizon 6 will be available on Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC from its very first day of release. Game Pass subscribers can look forward to diving into the action without an additional purchase, enjoying this premier racing experience as part of their subscription.
Teaser Trailer
A brief teaser trailer for Forza Horizon 6 was showcased during the announcement. While no gameplay footage was included, it offered a glimpse into the game’s atmosphere. You can search for “Forza Horizon 6 Teaser Trailer” on popular video platforms to watch it.
Where Will We Be Racing? The Japan Setting!
The Forza Horizon series has previously transported players to diverse and vibrant locations such as France, Italy, Mexico, Australia, and Great Britain. After much anticipation and speculation, the next destination has been officially confirmed: Japan! Playground Games, the developer, explained in a recent announcement that Japan’s unparalleled culture—encompassing its iconic cars, music, and fashion—makes it an ideal setting for a Forza Horizon game. Furthermore, Japan was a consistently requested location by the passionate player community.
Microsoft has enlisted the expertise of cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita to ensure that Forza Horizon 6 captures the intricate details of its setting authentically. Yamashita expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “I love the coexistence of Japan: a neighborhood shrine beside a small workshop beside a neon arcade—traditional and modern on the same block. There is so much scope and inspiration to be explored with Japan, and the richness felt like a natural fit for this game.”
The initial teaser trailer for Forza Horizon 6 prominently featured Mount Fuji, hinting at the breathtaking environments players will encounter. Microsoft has stated that while it’s still early in development, the game promises to vividly portray both the “natural and urban environments” of Japan.
“From the neon lights and towering buildings of Tokyo City—one of our most detailed and layered environments to date—to the serenity and natural beauty of Japan’s rural and mountain areas, we think players will be blown away by the open world of Japan that we have built,” Playground Games commented.
Yamashita’s role as a creative consultant was crucial, especially since Japan can be “widely misread when you only see it from afar,” she elaborated. “The team wanted to present more than a postcard or a backdrop; they wanted a lived-in world. Having a cultural consultant early helps you make a thousand small, respectful decisions: how neighborhoods sound, even what a sign color communicates about a shop. Those small choices add up to credibility and help avoid stereotypes, while also making it a truly immersive experience for players,” Yamashita explained. She added, “Throughout the process of building the game, we have treated authenticity as a practice, not a checkbox. I’m embedded in decision cycles—scripts, visuals, and audio—asking questions like, ‘What would this street feel like at dusk in late summer?’ or ‘Which sound anchors this scene: traffic or a station chime?'”
Embracing Japan’s Iconic Car Culture
Japan boasts a rich and storied history of car culture, and Forza Horizon 6 is committed to showcasing this heritage within the game.
Yamashita highlighted the diversity: “In Japanese car culture, the depth and diversity is astonishing. Kei cars and vans with cult followings, precision motorsport, drifting’s roots, and their passion for customization really stands out. It’s welcoming to different levels of enthusiasm and knowledge, which is exactly the kind of layered world I want players to feel.”
Dynamic Seasons Will Transform the Landscape
Staying true to the tradition of previous Forza Horizon titles, Forza Horizon 6 will immerse players in an open world that beautifully captures “true-to-life” seasonal changes.
Microsoft elaborated, “Japan features some of the most well-known, beautiful seasonal changes in the world—sweltering summers, snowy winters and, of course, the iconic Sakura season, those precious weeks where cherry blossoms bloom across the country.”
Playground Games confirmed that these seasonal transitions in Forza Horizon 6 will have a “dramatic impact on the landscape and playable world.” Yamashita further noted, “The team has also been able to build a system where seasonal changes truly inform the world—how spring, summer, autumn, and winter subtly shift tone, activity, and sound. The team is also really proud of the attention to everyday details: ambient audio like station chimes or summer wind bells that instantly place you without a caption. Those are quiet choices, but they carry a lot of truth.”
When Can We Expect to See Gameplay?
The Forza Horizon 6 announcement was accompanied by only a brief teaser, notably without any gameplay footage. Microsoft has indicated that fans can anticipate seeing the game in action sometime in “early 2026.”
The Future of Forza Motorsport: What We Know
The most recent entry in the dedicated racing simulation series, 2023’s Forza Motorsport from developer Turn 10, has not seen any future game announcements. Unfortunately, Turn 10 experienced significant layoffs as part of Microsoft’s recent company-wide reductions. According to former developers, there’s a possibility that the entire Forza Motorsport series may now be discontinued. However, developer Turn 10 has not completely ceased operations; Microsoft’s announcement of Forza Horizon 6 today confirmed that Turn 10 is providing assistance with bringing Forza Horizon 6 to PS5.
Related Content from Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025
The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025 event also featured a gallery showcasing other major announcements. This included new visuals and information on titles such as Gungrave GORE, 007 Gemma, Aniimo, Double Dragon Revive, Hitman Bruce Lee, and Monster Hunter Stories. To learn more about these reveals, you can explore comprehensive recaps of the event.