Next Forza Horizon to go where fans have always wanted

The sixth instalment of the Forza Horizon series will make its first trip to Japan, Microsoft announced overnight.

Due on Xbox and PC in 2026, Forza Horizon 6 was confirmed in a teaser trailer at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025 Broadcast, making the first time the games have gone to Asia.

Previous instalments have been based in the US (2012), the Italian and French Rivieras (2014), Australia (2016), the UK (2018) and Mexico (2021). It also represents the biggest wait between Horizon games yet.

“For a long time, Japan has been top of Horizon fans’ wish lists, so we’re excited to finally be bringing this much-requested location to players in Forza Horizon 6,” Playground Games’ art director Don Arceta told Microsoft’s in-house magazine, Xbox Wire.

“Japan has such a unique culture – from cars, to music, to fashion – that make it perfect for the next Horizon setting. As with any Horizon title, we want to make sure we do the country justice in terms of authentic representation and Horizon open world playability – and now is the right time to realise that fully for players.”

Like previous iterations of the Horizon series, the Japan-based game won’t perfectly recreate locations, however it’ll be heavily inspired by some, such as Mount Fuji and Tokyo.

Of course, Japan’s car culture is often viewed as one of the best in the world, not only for its locally-made JDM offerings but its embrace of vehicles from other nations.

In addition to Japanese cars featured in previous games, it’s expected Forza Horizon 6 will lean heavily into the country’s unique modifying and racing scenes.

“In Japanese car culture, the depth and diversity is astonishing,” said cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita.

“Kei cars and vans with cult followings, precision motorsport, drifting’s roots, and their passion for customisation 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.”

The announcement of Forza Horizon making a return comes just a handful of months after it was reported the Forza Motorsport series – which is more focused on circuit racing – won’t continue past the most recent instalment.