A recent leak indicates that Forza Horizon 6 could be set in a location that fans have been requesting for several years. The successor to Forza Horizon 5 may well see the globe-trotting open-world arcade racer series pull over in a beloved country in the Northeast Asia subregion.
Developed by Playground Games, the Forza Horizon franchise bases each new entry in a fictional rendition of a real-world country. So far, Forza Horizon games have plunged players into impressively large sandboxes inspired by Colorado, France and Italy, Australia, Britain, and most recently, Mexico. All of them have been well-received by fans to different degrees, though requests for one region in particular have been piling up over the years.
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Forza Horizon 6 Could Be Heading to Japan
With a new Forza Horizon game presumed to hit the market in 2026 as part of Xbox's 25th anniversary plans, speculation surrounding the game's setting has been rampant. This discourse has heightened in recent memory thanks to a now-deleted Instagram post by Cult and Classic - an Australian car importer - claiming to show a Playground Games dev scanning "late-model Kei cars" (specifically, a Suzuki Every van) for the next entry in the Forza Horizon series. Kei cars primarily originated in Japan and are deeply affiliated with the country, suggesting that Forza Horizon 6 might venture to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Considering Japan has been at the top of Forza Horizon fans' wishlists in terms of settings, this development is quite exciting. From chock-a-block cities to scenic touges (mountain passes) to massive snow-laden expanses to winding freeways, Japan's environmental diversity is staggering, and the country's car culture is among the most renowned in the world. Japanese automotive subcultures like Bosozoku, stanced cars, RWB Porsches, outrageous LED-lined Lamborghinis, and more would be a breath of fresh air for not only the Forza Horizon series, but mainstream racing games in general.
However, fans shouldn't let expectations run too high, as a Playground developer scanning a Kei car isn't really concrete proof of Forza Horizon 6 being set in Japan. Kei cars have previously appeared in Forza games, like the 1993 Autozam AZ-1 in Forza Horizon 5 and the 1958 Subaru 360 in Forza Motorsport 7. Therefore, it's more prudent to wait for more leaks and details surrounding the next Forza Horizon game to ascertain where it's set. As for when it could be officially revealed, a possible January 2026 Xbox Developer Direct or next summer's Xbox Games Showcase are very likely venues.
Forza Horizon 5
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- November 9, 2021
- ESRB
- E for Everyone // In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Playground Games
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Forza Tech
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
