Xbox announced that it is taking the Forza Horizon series to Japan with Forza Horizon 6. Its trailer was shown off as part of the Microsoft gaming subsidiary’s Tokyo Game Show 2025 showcase. While it was just a very generic garage scene in the beginning, closer to the end some unmistakably Asian elements were added – from the skewer sticks on a porcelain bowl to the beckoning cat. The final scene then shows Mt Fuji, complete with cherry blossom branches.
Unfortunately, the trailer was devoid of gameplay, or even any environment that players would be racing through. But in an Xbox Wire post, art director Don Arceta claims that the entry will be “one of our most detailed and layered environments to date”. The caveat though is that while the team aims to capture the unique cultural essence of the land, it wouldn’t be a recreation. Which makes sense as, especially with Tokyo City being mentioned, many roads will be too narrow for races to feel fun.
On that note, Playground Games had cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita along for most of the ride. She says that “Japan is widely loved, but it can also be widely misread when you only see it from afar”. And she’s there to make sure that the country is being presented as “more than a postcard or a backdrop”. Which is all well and good, but as Assassin’s Creed Shadows has shown, it’s not exactly a strategy with a perfect track record.
But probably the most important detail is found in the description of the trailer. Forza Horizon 6 will be released sometime in 2026, hitting Xbox and PC first. Then, sometime post-launch, it will also be available on the PS5. This is hopefully a new trend that the previous game paved the way for.
