Forza Horizon 6 – Latest News And Release Date

Forza Horizon 6 release date extends past traditional cycles as the series prepares for a significant leap forward. Here’s what we know so far.

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TL;DR – Latest Updates

Forza Horizon 6 will likely be announced in 2025.
- Despite fans remaining hopeful, Forza Horizon 6 was not mentioned at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase.
- Given the expected arrival of GTA IV in Fall 2025, a 2026 release date is looking increasingly likely.
FH6 is expected to be released on Xbox Series X|S and PC, likely leaving behind last-gen consoles.
- Like FH5, Forza Horizon 6 is also expected to be available on Xbox Game Pass immediately after launch.
- There are rumors that it could be one of several Microsoft-exclusive titles that may be shared with Sony’s PlayStation, but we feel this is unlikely.
The home of drifting, Japan remains the most requested location among Horizon gamers.
- Recent updates from Playground Games have given the rumors more traction.
Forza Horizon may soon have a new rival, which is expected to be published by Amazon Games and led by Mike Brown, Forza Horizon 5’s former Creative Director.
There are rumors that Horizon 6 will be the final addition to the Horizon series.

Introduction

From the start, the Forza franchise showed off the capabilities of the Xbox Consoles and their take on the racing genre.

They provide Forza Motorsport, which focuses on a simulator racing experience, allowing you to see how professional drivers refine their skills on the track.

On the other hand, the Horizon series provides open-world freedom with an arcade-style vibe for those looking for a little less seriousness and more fun. It allows you to push almost every vehicle you can think of to its limits on every terrain imaginable.

The recent news that Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted on December 15, 2024, stirred the rumor mill once again, with many wondering whether they’re shifting focus fully to the upcoming Horizon 6.

Remember to take every piece of information provided with a grain of salt, as we’re still far from any Forza Horizon 6 release date. Until then, we’ll do our best to keep you updated with the latest news, leaks, trailers, and any other relevant information.

Unsure sure what to do while you wait for the Horizon 6 release? We recommend heading over for some fun in our exclusive free-to-play browser game, Drift Hunters MAX!

Forza Horizon 6 Release Date

Forza Horizon 6 will not arrive in 2024. We believe 2026 will most likely be the year. Let me explain why.

Many fans hoped for a confirmed Forza Horizon 6 release date at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, but unfortunately, the game wasn’t even mentioned.

With 2024 drawing to a close and still no official word from Playground Games, a 2025 launch now appears to be the earliest possible release timeframe.

Unfortunately, this would mean that the FH6 release would likely clash with the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, which looks to be arriving in Fall 2025.

Although the two games fall under different genres, GTA VI’s anticipation still poses a serious threat, given the game’s mass appeal. Its predecessor, GTA V, sold over 205 million copies worldwide.

The timing could impact Playground Games’ launch window strategy, as few developers would want to compete directly with what is positioned as one of the biggest gaming releases of all time.

All things considered, it makes us feel that a 2026 release for Forza Horizon 6 is becoming increasingly likely.

Xbox Series X|S Forza Horizon 6 Release Date

Forza Horizon 6 is expected to release exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC, departing from previous titles that included last-gen consoles.

This focused development approach enables Playground Games to push the technical boundaries further and deliver more ambitious open-world environments without the constraints of older hardware.

Moving away from the Xbox One will allow the developers to fully harness current-gen capabilities, addressing the performance limitations of Forza Horizon 5.

Xbox One Forza Horizon 6 Release Date

Given the anticipated technical requirements, FH6 will likely exceed the capabilities of the Xbox One console. This means that fans must upgrade to a Series X|S console or ensure their PC meets the minimum requirements to avoid disappointment.

The growing adoption of Series X|S hardware means Xbox One support is steadily declining. The aging console’s technical limitations make it increasingly challenging to deliver modern gaming experiences, especially for large, open-world environments.

PC Forza Horizon 6 Release Date

Microsoft’s platform strategy ensures Forza Horizon 6 will launch simultaneously on PC and Xbox Series X|S, maintaining the series’ established release pattern.

PC players are expected to be able to enjoy the full Horizon 6 experience without owning an Xbox, complete with “Cross-play” and cross-save features for seamless platform switching.

While high-end PCs can potentially exceed the Xbox Series X’s performance, the significant cost difference makes console gaming an attractive option for most players.

Game Pass Release Date (Xbox Cloud Gaming)

Following Forza Horizon 5’s record-breaking Game Pass launch, the next entry is expected to be available on the Game Pass subscription service from day one.

Will Forza Horizon 6 Be On PS4/PS5?

Recent industry rumors suggest some Microsoft titles might reach PlayStation platforms. However, Forza Horizon 6 will likely remain Xbox/PC exclusive at launch to drive platform adoption, with any possible PlayStation release coming later.

Forza Horizon 6 News

At the recent Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, 2024, many Horizon enthusiasts were bracing for good news regarding the release date for FH6.

However, as the big announcement arrived, they were left disappointed, with Playground Games instead opting to announce its new Fable reboot. Not only was there no release date, but there wasn’t a single mention of Forza Horizon at the event.

Given the cancellation of E3 2025, the best chance we’ll get for any official updates or confirmation will be at the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, which should be in June 2025. However, given the GTA IV launch we mentioned previously, they may opt to skip 2025 entirely.

We’ll need to prepare for a longer 4-5-year development cycle between FH5 and FH6, compared to the previous 2-3-year cycles we got used to with the Horizon series. This backs up the rumors that Microsoft would shift their AAA games to a 4-6-year development cycle.

Past Forza Horizon release date cycles:

Forza Horizon – October 2012
Forza Horizon 2 – September 2014
Forza Horizon 3 – September 2016
Forza Horizon 4 – September 2018
Forza Horizon 5 – November 2021
Forza Horizon 6 – Fall 2025/2026?

These delays don’t come as a huge surprise since it was a similar story for the latest Forza Motorsport, which was planned for launch in 2022 and then delayed until Spring 2023 before finally reaching the market in October 2023, with what many feel was still an unfinished product. The delays to the FM series have also likely impacted Horizon.

Forza Horizon 6 Rumors

Here are some of the latest FH6 rumors that have been circulating.

First, let’s check this Reddit post about a job posting. According to the OP (Original Poster), developers seek a talented Level Designer. Therefore, they need someone to help them prepare some maps and improve the experience with attractive gameplay elements.

On the one hand, this job posting is excellent news for the next edition. With that extra time, the new employee could add innovative challenges and new features.

In contrast, this discovery might lead to something different but still exciting. The Playground Games developers have multiple projects, including the recently confirmed Fable reboot. As a result, they might need extra hands right away for different video games. Whatever the case, it’s a promising sign.

We can assume that Playground Games is doing well even after some key figures have left the company in recent years.

Twitter

This tweet contains many rumors that might appear good or bad for some community members. Let us review it little by little.

First, according to the OP, this is the last Forza Horizon video game.

Although shocking, it’s a common occurrence in the video gaming environment. Sometimes, the developer team (Playground Games, in this case) gets “burned out” when they work on something similar for a long time.

When this happens, they try their luck at something different. Most noteworthy, it doesn’t mean the Forza Horizon franchise is dead; it is just taking a hiatus.

The second part states that Forza Horizon 6 will get a 2025 release date.

You might find this part of the tweet debatable since they usually need two years (or three for Forza Horizon 5) for the next installment.

Still, in the last video game, they took more time to release the DLC, and the developers might have other projects.

Lastly, the rumors continue that FH6 will let us visit the mystic Japan region.

We could see tons of twisty touge roads filled with Sakura trees and pink petals flying everywhere.

Additionally, we could see more snow (compared to Mexico) and travel across mountains or around old temples.

Without a doubt, there’s plenty of exciting material in Japan that can make things breathtaking.

Even though we have enough material to speculate on the outstanding gameplay elements for the upcoming Forza Horizon 6, it will be a long wait. We have active seasons within Forza Horizon 5; the second expansion is still unknown.

Forza Horizon 6 Location

In the Forza Horizon franchise, we’ve already been treated to the following locations:

Forza Horizon – Colorado, USA
Forza Horizon 2 – Southern France and Northern Italy
Forza Horizon 3 – Australia
Forza Horizon 4 – England and Scotland (U.K.)
Forza Horizon 5 – Mexico

Is Forza Horizon 6 Set In Japan?

The latest rumors and leaks about Horizon 6 point to the game being set in the land of the rising sun. How great would that be?

While the Horizon Festival has given us some awesome locations like the USA, Europe, Australia, the U.K., and Mexico, Japan is the holy grail for us drift fanatics – it’s where our beloved sport was born and perfected.

Imagine shredding through the winding mountain passes of Hakone or Irohazaka, recreating those Initial D moments we’ve all dreamed about. If that’s too much to ask, there’s also the potential for epic urban drifting in Tokyo’s neon-lit streets. With legendary JDM manufacturers like Honda, Nissan, and Toyota calling Japan home, we’d be in for a treat.

Japan remains largely unexplored in open-world racing games despite its rich automotive culture. While iconic tracks like Suzuka appear in F1 games and Gran Turismo 7 features both Suzuka and a fictional Tokyo Expressway, the country’s diverse landscapes and urban environments are underrepresented. This gap presents a unique opportunity for Forza Horizon 6 to showcase Japan’s varied terrain, from bustling cityscapes to tight and twisty touge mountain passes.

However, while FH6 drags its heels, other up-and-coming drifting games aim to fill the Japanese void.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master offers over 250 kilometers of diverse Japanese roads across its fictional Guntama prefecture and is expected to launch in Spring 2025. The open-world map is set to include tourist areas, traditional towns, and touge roads inspired by real Japanese locations.

CarX Drift Racing 3 is bringing the entire Ebisu Complex, along with Kami Road making a comeback. CarX Street also offers players an awesome alternative open-world drifting experience.

However, this fan-made trailer gives you an idea of how Japan could look in FH6. Pretty sweet, huh?

In case the rumors about Japan aren’t true, there’s always a chance that FH6 players get to travel to places like:

Germany

Germany offers a diverse European setting with a rich automotive heritage. Players could race through scenic landscapes featuring castles, autobahns, and the Black Forest.

The country’s varied terrain would provide excellent street racing and rally-style opportunities. Germany’s car culture, home to brands like Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, would naturally fit the Horizon Festival theme.

Egypt

Egypt would offer a unique and visually striking environment for the series. The game could feature races around ancient pyramids, along the Nile River, and through bustling modern cities like Cairo.

The contrast between desert landscapes and lush river valleys would create diverse driving experiences. Iconic landmarks could serve as spectacular backdrops for showcase events and challenges.

China

China’s vast and varied landscape would provide an expansive playground for Forza Horizon 6. Players could race along the Great Wall, through futuristic cityscapes like Shanghai, and across rural rice paddies.

The country’s diverse geography, from mountains to coastlines, would offer a wide range of driving conditions. China’s growing car culture and mix of ancient and modern architecture would create a visually stunning and culturally rich setting for the Horizon Festival.

What The Fans Want To See In Forza Horizon 6

Despite a rough start following its initial launch, Forza Horizon 5 eventually won over the majority of fans, and the game is still very active today, with frequently added new challenges, cars, track add-ons, and playlists to enjoy.

Mike Brown, the Creative Director of Forza Horizon 5, caused a shock after he left Playground Games in 2023. Several other veterans also left alongside him. While many were initially disappointed by the news, it has left fans hopeful of a new direction for the new game.

A fresh start could be the perfect opportunity to provide more meaningful gameplay beyond simply accumulating points and collecting cars in your garage. This opens up many potentially exciting possibilities with a new story mode.

Many fans feel that carrying over the progress from Horizon 4 was convenient for FH5 gamers. However, it meant that the game lacked any real progression to work towards that many desired. Rather than having everything handed on a plate, having to go back to the grind of experiencing the excitement of unlocking your favorite cars could make the game much more exciting.

New Features & Challenges

We’d love to see a proper progression system that starts with slower cars and improves race variety to enhance the gameplay experience. Maybe even licenses as we used to enjoy in the OG first-edition Gran Turismo games. (I guess we’re showing our age here!)

It’d also be great to see more diverse race types seamlessly integrated into the map, offering a wider range of challenges and experiences. There’s also a desire for better-designed roads that create more engaging and natural racing environments, moving away from awkwardly placed races seen in previous titles.

Additionally, the idea of separate maps for different game modes, such as the Eliminator, has gained traction among fans. This approach could provide tailored experiences for specific game types, potentially offering more immersive and focused gameplay for each mode.

While Horizon 5 is undoubtedly a great game, we’re sure you’ll agree that the features and challenges lack the exciting feeling the previous Horizons had.

In-Game Content

Forza Horizon 6 fans hope for a larger, more diverse map offering various environments. Moving exclusively to next-gen consoles and high-end PCs would make it far easier for Playground Games to improve the map size substantially. If we could explore the cities and the touge mountain roads of the Japanese countryside, it’d be a dream come true for many enthusiasts.

Another exciting addition could be an in-game airport, allowing players to “fly” to famous real-world circuits, as seen in Forza Motorsport. This would expand the game’s scope beyond a single location and offer more diverse racing experiences.

With an incredible display of evolution in AI since Forza Horizon 5’s release, we hope to see improvements across the board.

Graphical Enhancements

While this is pretty much a given, we’d rather see the team focus on the content and physics of the game. Sure, it’s always great to see shiny new visuals, but we all know that the appeal only lasts so long.

Fans hope for enhanced realism through full animation of car controls. This includes visible interactions with the horn, handbrake, clutch, and other vehicle components that have previously been missing, adding a new layer of immersion to the game.

Improved In-Game Customization

Many eagerly anticipate enhanced customization options, allowing them to truly personalize their vehicles with more in-depth customization, including a wider range of visual mods and body kits.

It would also be great to see improved rim customization, with the ability to upgrade individual wheels, potentially allowing for different front and rear rims, as seen on missile drift cars or pros that have run out of tires.

Another great feature would be aero options that are visually compatible with different car models, moving away from boring the one-size-fits-all approach of previous games.

A wildcard request would be hitching trailers or caravans to your ride. Imagine how awesome that would be while throwing it down sideways on the touge!

Will Horizon Festival Return for Horizon 6?

We will likely get some form of the Horizon Festival for the upcoming video game. After all, the festivals have been an integral part of the series for almost a decade now, and it will be a huge risk to drop it.

Thanks to the challenges in these events, we get more vehicles and ways to extend our gaming sessions. Inside Forza Horizon 6, we could have the same formula as Horizon 5. In other words, we will find new stuff monthly.

Forza Horizon 6 Expected Car List

The Forza Horizon 5 Car List didn’t disappoint, providing over 530 cars at the initial launch, and we expect the same story with Horizon 6.

We hope that the new game can incorporate new models from Forza Motorsport, and we also hope that the update will feature an expanded selection of unique and rare JDM drift and race cars to represent the local automotive culture.

Fans are hoping for a more varied lineup, focusing on different car brands rather than multiple variants of the same model and including unique options like Kei cars and trucks, with the Toyota Hiace van going down fantastically well with Gran Turismo 7 fans in recent updates.

To address previous criticisms, the developers should also aim to retain popular cars from earlier series entries.

Recent additions to the Forza Horizon 5 car list in 2024 have got fans talking about the number of new JDM cars – more than any other region. There was also a huge Japanese-branded car rim update from legendary manufacturers like 5Zigen, Advan, Enkei, and Gram Lights, significantly expanding the customization options, as many requested.

This focus on Japanese automotive culture suggests that Playground Games listens to fan requests. It also raises hopes that Forza Horizon 6 might feature an even more extensive selection of rare and iconic Japanese vehicles. Unsurprisingly, this has added even more fuel to the fire, with them already screaming for Japan to be the Forza Horizon 6 location!

Here are some of the JDM cars we’ve seen added recently:

1991 Toyota Chaser GT Twin Turbo
1991 Toyota Sera
1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
1993 Autozam AZ-1
1995 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR
1995 Toyota MR2 GT
1996 Subaru SVX
1997 Mitsubishi Montero
1997 Nissan Stagea RS Four V
1997 Toyota Soarer 2.5 GT-T
1998 Mitsubishi FTO GP Version R
2022 Subaru WRX
2023 Nissan Z

While you wait for Horizon 6, why not check out the Fastest Drag Car in Forza Horizon 5 and practice your drag racing skills before the new game drops?

Is There A New Forza Horizon 6 Competitor?

Forza Horizon 6 is set to face unexpected competition from a familiar source. In May 2024, Maverick Games, a new AAA studio led by Forza Horizon 5’s former creative director Mike Brown, announced a rival open-world driving game. The currently unnamed project, described as a “narrative-led, open-world driving game,” is being published by Amazon Games and will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The competition is particularly intriguing because several senior staff members from the Forza Horizon series have joined Maverick Games to work on this new project. This development not only introduces a potentially strong competitor in the open-world racing genre but also raises questions about how the departure of key talent might impact the future direction of the Forza Horizon series.

While it’s undoubtedly exciting news for PlayStation fans, we hope it will also force Playground Games to deliver their best effort yet to fight against the competition. Either way, it’s an exciting time for open-world gaming fans.

Forza Horizon 6 Release Date FAQs

In this section, we’ll answer your questions about the upcoming newest addition to the Forza Horizon series.

Where will Forza Horizon 6 take place?

If the latest rumors are true, it sounds like the dream location for many Horizon enthusiasts may well be on the agenda: the land of the rising sun – Japan. With Forza Horizon 5 being set in Mexico, seeing a fresh take on the Horizon series will surely be exciting.

When is Forza Horizon 6 coming out?

It is rumored that FH6 will be released as early as 2025, but a delay until 2026 is looking increasingly likely.

What is the Forza Horizon 6 location?

Currently, the strongest rumors point to the home of drifting – Japan. The twisty touge mountain roads make for the perfect street drifting location. However, Germany, Egypt, and China have all been suggested as potential alternatives.

Is there a Forza Horizon 7?

No, there are some rumors that Forza Horizon 6 will be Playground Games’ last game in the series. This rumor could mean we might not get a Horizon for a long time, or they could give this branch to another studio.

Is there a new Forza Motorsport?

The new Forza Motorsport game was released on October 10, 2023 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. There are no official announcements about another Forza Motorsport game coming soon, with Forza Horizon 6 being the next arrival in the Forza series.

Will Forza Horizon 6 be on Xbox One?

Since Microsoft owns this franchise, there’s a slight chance we will still get Forza Horizon 6 on Xbox One. However, many fans have called for the last-gen console to be scrapped so the team can focus on providing the ultimate experience for Xbox Series X/S and high-end PC gamers.