Forza Horizon 6 is officially coming in 2026 and will be set in Japan. It launches on Xbox and PC with Day-1 Game Pass support. A teaser was shown before Tokyo Game Show 2025, confirming the long-rumored Japan setting. If you’re also asking “When is the next PlayStation event?”, Sony hasn’t confirmed a date yet check the PlayStation Blog for updates.
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The Road You’ve Always Wanted to Drive
Imagine drifting through neon-lit Tokyo streets, climbing mountain passes at night, or racing along Japan’s coastal highways. That dream is becoming real Forza Horizon 6 is finally confirmed, and it’s heading straight to the world’s most-requested racing destination. Platforms / availability: Launching on Xbox and PC, with Day-1 Xbox Game Pass confirmed.
This lines up with earlier leadership hints from Microsoft that “the next Forza” was tracking for 2026, and with months of credible chatter about Japan as the location.
Why Japan is a big deal (for you)
You’ve asked for Japan for years, and the reasons are simple:
Kei cars, tuners, drift icons, and highway runs are part of everyday automotive life.
City circuits, coastal drives, rice-field backroads, mountain passes ideal for an open-world racer.
Neon nights, tight alleyways, and long expressways create a look and feel you can’t fake.
Recent reporting even pointed to developers scanning Kei cars for modeling, which made the Japan setting feel almost inevitable before it was official. Now it’s confirmed.
What you can expect from the world and driving
While the full feature list isn’t public yet, here’s what the reveal and reporting suggest (and what makes sense based on Horizon’s history)
A sprawling open world that mixes dense urban areas with wide countryside and mountain switchbacks.
Photo worthy landmarks expect postcard views and nighttime cityscapes built for cruising and car meets.
Festival energy with street events, off-road routes, and showpiece “Showcase” races that push hardware and spectacle.
The teaser didn’t deep-dive on systems, but the franchise’s identity arcade-friendly handling with surprising depth isn’t changing. If you enjoyed FH4’s U.K. or FH5’s Mexico, you’ll feel at home just with a very different flavor of roads and cars.
Release timing: what “2026” means for your calendar
A 2026 window gives Playground Games time to polish a huge map, line up licensed cars, and land a stable launch. It also matches the Xbox 25th anniversary year messaging that leadership hinted at earlier. For you, that means:
Holiday 2025: Keep playing your current rotation Horizon 6 won’t be there.
2026: Start budgeting time (and storage) for a big open-world racer, likely positioned as a tentpole for that year’s library.
Game Pass and cross-platform notes
The reveal reiterated that Forza Horizon 6 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. That’s good news if you bounce between games—you’ll be able to try FH6 without an extra $70 upfront, and your friends can jump in on day one. Expect PC support as usual for the Horizon series.
How today’s reveal happened (and why it matters)
The first look landed just ahead of Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show stream, a move that fits the setting and the audience. TGS is a global stage with strong relevance to Japanese car culture, which helps the announcement punch above a standard blog post or random Tuesday trailer drop. For U.S. players, the time zones are a little rough, but the upside is simple: you’re getting high-energy news as the industry focuses on Japan. ([TechRadar][4])
Rumors that turned out true—and what’s still unknown
Rumors that landed
Japan setting: Long-running fan wish, now confirmed by the teaser.
2026 release: Previously teased by Xbox leadership; now re-stated with the reveal.
Open questions
Map size: Will Japan be one region, multiple prefectures, or a “greatest hits” mash-up?
New physics and systems: How deep will drift, AI traffic, and weather modeling go versus FH5?
Online events: Expect seasonal lists and story-style expansions, but details are TBA.
Until Microsoft publishes a deep-dive, treat “feature wishlists” as speculation. That said, credible outlets had already built a case for Japan with car-scanning breadcrumbs and studio activity.
How Forza Horizon 6 fits into your 2026 gaming year?
If you’re in the U.S., here’s how to think about your schedule:
Spring–Summer 2026: Possible preview period, betas, or playable demos (timing unconfirmed).
Mid–Late 2026: Launch window candidates, often aligned with big marketing beats.
DLC cadence: Horizon games typically roll out expansions and car packs over the first year.
Meanwhile, 2025 still has plenty to play on your existing platforms, so FH6 can anchor next year’s racing plans while you chip away at your 2025 backlog.
FH6 vs. FH5: what could change for you
Driving feel: Horizon stays accessible, but Japan’s roads suggest more technical routes tight corners, elevation changes, and wet surfaces.
Car meta: Expect JDM icons to shine. You’ll likely tune for grip and balance on mountain roads rather than pure top-speed highway builds.
Event design: Drifts, hill climbs, and night races may get more love.
These aren’t confirmed bullet points, but they’re logical extensions of the setting and the series. We’ll know more once Playground shows extended gameplay.
Can you play it on PlayStation?
Forza Horizon is an Xbox Game Studios franchise, and Forza Horizon 6 was announced for Xbox / PC with Game Pass. There’s no official word about a PlayStation version. (Some prior Xbox titles have expanded to other platforms, and Forza Horizon 5’s performance on PS5 has been widely discussed in coverage, but FH6 itself has not been announced for PS5.) Your safest plan: assume Xbox and PC only unless Microsoft says otherwise. ([The Verge][5])
When is the next PlayStation event?
You might track PlayStation news alongside FH6. As of now, Sony hasn’t posted a new State of Play date. The pattern in 2025 has been short-notice reveals usually the PlayStation Blog publishes details about a week ahead of time so if you’re chasing first-party PS news, keep alerts on for Sony’s channels. If you want the absolute latest, check the PlayStation Blog and social feeds directly before you plan watch-parties.
What to do next (so you don’t miss FH6 updates)
Follow the official Forza channels for deeper trailers and car reveals.
Watch the TGS Xbox stream VOD to catch any extra details you missed live.
Bookmark news hubs that have been reliable on this story.
Recent coverage from The Verge, GameSpot, Windows Central, and TechRadar has tracked the Japan setting, the 2026 window, and the TGS timing these are good sources to refresh before preorders and previews go live.
Simple FAQ
Is Forza Horizon 6 confirmed?
Yes. The official teaser confirms FH6 and shows Japan as the setting.
What’s the Forza Horizon 6 release date?
A specific day wasn’t announced, but the release window is 2026.
Is FH6 on Game Pass?
Yes, Day-1 on Xbox Game Pass.
Is FH6 coming to PS5?
No platform announcement for PlayStation was made. Plan for Xbox and PC.
When is the next PlayStation event?
No new date announced yet; check the PlayStation Blog for the next State of Play post.
How to talk about FH6 if you’re writing or streaming
Lead with the confirmed facts (Japan, 2026, Game Pass).
Use “rumor” and “report” language for anything not in the teaser.
Tie your segments to TGS it gives your audience a schedule and a reason to watch more reveals.
For U.S. time zones, give PT/ET conversions so your friends can catch the next drops live.
Final take: Why FH6 in Japan is the right move for you
You’ve been cruising sunny coasts and desert highways for years; Japan gives you a new kind of challenge. Tight, technical roads encourage different builds and a more expressive driving style. Forza Horizon 6 looks set to blend culture, car passion, and festival energy in ways that refresh the series without losing what makes it welcoming. With 2026 on the calendar and Game Pass support confirmed, you can plan your year around a major car-game moment and you won’t have to pay extra on day one to try it.
If you’re also watching the PlayStation calendar, keep your notifications on; Sony’s next State of Play could drop with little warning. But for now, the road you’re waiting to drive is in Japan, and the next green light says 2026.
