Xbox confirms the Forza Horizon 6 release date it previously leaked, but you're going to have to wait for the PS5 version

1. Games
2. Racing Games
3. Forza Horizon
4. Forza Horizon 6

Xbox confirms the Forza Horizon 6 release date it previously leaked, but you're going to have to wait for the PS5 version News By Dustin Bailey published 22 January 2026

The Japan-themed open-world racer made its proper debut at today's Xbox Developer Direct

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Xbox) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

Playground Games has a big stage at today's Xbox Developer Direct. Not only is the studio showing off its big Fable revival, but also, it's showcasing the next entry in the open-world racing series it's best known for. Forza Horizon 6 is offering a predictably gorgeous trip to Japan, and it will indeed launch in May, just as Xbox itself leaked earlier this month.

Forza Horizon 6 launches on May 19, 2026, across Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the PS5 version to launch later in the year. That's the same date that appeared, seemingly accidentally, in an in-game message in Forza Horizon 5 last week.

The game once again focuses on a Horizon festival, where racers go at it in a variety of competitions building up to big events that'll let you access the next stage of objectives.

You may like

• Forza Horizon 6 release date seemingly leaked in Horizon 5, Xbox itself says it's coming this spring
• Forza Horizon 6: Everything you need to know about the new Forza Horizon game set in Japan
• Forza Horizon 6 looks like the pinnacle of open-world racing games: "It really is just about driving wherever you want and exploring"

That's exactly what we've come to expect from the Forza series, but the location is arguably the biggest deal here. The open world covers plenty of Japanese countryside, and also lets you race around the streets of Tokyo. The devs say their take on Tokyo is five times bigger than any urban area they've built before.

The game launches with more cars than any previous game had on day one, and the options go all the way up to a new R-class for top-end autos. Add what appears to be a giant robot at the end, and you've got quite a stew going.

Forza Horizon 6 is the first game in the series set in Japan because Playground Games wanted to "do the country justice," and its Hot Wheels DLC helped that happen.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Xbox Game Studios Xbox Game Pass CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox Dustin BaileySocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

Show More Comments

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Forza Horizon 6 release date seemingly leaked in Horizon 5, Xbox itself says it's coming this spring    Forza Horizon 6: Everything you need to know about the new Forza Horizon game set in Japan    Forza Horizon 6 looks like the pinnacle of open-world racing games: "It really is just about driving wherever you want and exploring"    Forza Horizon 6 is going full anime with Initial D-inspired Touge Battle mode and a full-sized Gundam    Forza Horizon 6 adds Assassin's Creed Shadows-style base where you can build anything, if you fund it with tofu delivery    Amid The Game Awards hubbub, Xbox announces a January Developer Direct featuring the Fable and Forza Horizon 6 studio    Latest in Forza Horizon Forza Horizon 6 is going full anime with Initial D-inspired Touge Battle mode and a full-sized Gundam    Forza Horizon 6 adds Assassin's Creed Shadows-style base where you can build anything, if you fund it with tofu delivery    Forza Horizon 6 Premium Edition is $120, even more expensive than the previous game, and it doesn't include all DLC    Forza Horizon 6 looks like the pinnacle of open-world racing games: "It really is just about driving wherever you want and exploring"    Forza Horizon 6 release date seemingly leaked in Horizon 5, Xbox itself says it's coming this spring    Amid The Game Awards hubbub, Xbox announces a January Developer Direct featuring the Fable and Forza Horizon 6 studio    Latest in News Minecraft creative lead plays Hytale and decides "I'd rather just play Minecraft," Hytale dev says he's "probably right"    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dev had to "change the rules of the game" because it couldn't compete with giga budget RPGs    Fable head says "we can't try to make a Lionhead game" and that the RPG reboot isn't fantasy – it's fairytale    Alan Wake 2 studio defends Epic CEO as Larian publishing lead questions "millions in lost revenue" from no Steam version    New Fable developer Playground "got a treasure trove of documents" from original creator Lionhead "in storage"    Double Fine's next game is a PvP brawler with pottery-powered team battles and a full social hub, out this spring    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Looking for a good 2-player board game? This superhero adventure is worth suiting up for
2. 2Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based combat evolves Metaphor ReFantazio's hybrid battles, making up for a poorly paced adventure"
3. 3This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy
4. 4Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
5. 5Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
2. 2A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
3. 3Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
4. 4Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”
5. 5Fallout season 2 review: "A hell of a lot of fun despite being overcrowded and convoluted"