Forza Horizon 6 is an open-world racing game set across a detailed recreation of Japan. Players begin as a tourist exploring the country before working their way into the Horizon Festival through a wristband progression system. Completing races, events, and stunts earns wristbands that unlock faster cars and new areas, with the gold wristband granting access to Legend Island and its exclusive challenges. The game supports solo play or co-op sessions with friends for the full campaign of discovery and festival racing.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on free-roaming the open world to discover roads, join spontaneous events, and build a car collection. Exploration includes photographing points of interest for a Collection Journal, participating in PR stunts such as drift challenges, speed traps, and sprints, and visiting car meets to showcase vehicles or download tunes and liveries from others. Customization extends to extensive livery and tuning options across more than 550 cars at launch, with storage in multiple garages that double as fast travel points. A customizable mountainside property called The Estate offers additional personalization. The upgraded EventLab toolset, now called CoLab, allows creation of custom events anywhere in the map with multiplayer support for collaborative building.
Seasonal weather changes affect driving conditions across the large map, which features dense urban areas like Tokyo alongside rural and mountain routes. Engine swaps and other mechanical upgrades provide depth for performance tuning. The Car Pass adds 30 vehicles over time, with one new car released each week starting May 19. Owners receive immediate garage additions for any cars already available at purchase time, allowing focus on earned credits rather than repeated purchases.
Game Modes
Horizon Play organizes the online experience into several distinct modes. Horizon Racing covers standard competitive races. Spec Racing enforces identical cars and tunes for balanced matchups. Touge Showdown delivers 1v1 mountain pass battles that emphasize precise handling on narrow roads. Horizon Drift focuses on scoring through controlled slides in dedicated sessions. The Eliminator functions as a battle royale where up to 72 players compete to be the last one standing. Hide and Seek adds a pursuit element with one player hiding while others search.
Additional activities include Time Attack Circuits for solo or group time trials, Drag Meets for straight-line acceleration contests, and street racing or touge battles encountered in the open world. Co-op sessions integrate into the main campaign, while Car Meets serve as social hubs for showcasing builds and competing in impromptu events. No Playground Games modes such as Infection or King of the Hill appear at launch.
Current State and Updates
The game launched on Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19, 2026, with availability through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one. A PlayStation 5 version follows later in the year. Weekly Car Pass deliveries continue to expand the roster, and ongoing support includes new events and seasonal changes that refresh the map and activities. CoLab receives updates for expanded creation tools, keeping custom content fresh for players who enjoy building and sharing races.
Is It Worth Playing?
Forza Horizon 6 suits players who enjoy open-world driving with a mix of structured progression and flexible multiplayer. The wristband system and campaign structure provide clear goals for solo players, while modes like Spec Racing and Touge Showdown deliver focused competition. Those seeking variety in car handling and map exploration will find the Japan setting rewarding, with its mix of city streets, mountain passes, and varied surfaces. The Car Pass offers a steady stream of new vehicles without requiring separate purchases each week, which appeals to collectors aiming to expand garages efficiently. Availability on Game Pass lowers the entry barrier for trying the full experience, including co-op and online modes. Players who prefer pure simulation or lack interest in festival-style events and social features may find less appeal, but the combination of exploration, customization, and verified online options makes it a strong choice for racing enthusiasts who value long-term collection building and seasonal variety.
