Playground Games kicked off the Developer_Direct with an in-depth look at Forza Horizon 6, the new episode of the series that will finally take us to Japan, confirming the launch date of May 19th.

The team explains that the game will not only bring a change of scenery, but a real evolution of the concept of freedom and exploration that has always distinguished the brand, aiming to offer an experience that goes beyond simple enthusiasm for engines.

Unlike the previous chapters, our journey in Forza Horizon 6 will start in a more humble way: we will not immediately be world-famous professional pilots, but we will arrive in Japan as tourists, driven by the dream of one day participating in the famous Horizon Festival. We will be accompanied by two friends, Jordy, a great motorsport fan, and Mei, an expert Japanese car manufacturer who will guide us through the local culture. This approach will allow us to discover the country with new eyes, experiencing the thrill of arriving in an unknown place full of opportunities and goals to achieve.

The game map promises to be the most impressive ever created by the team, ranging from mountain peaks to densely populated urban passages. We'll explore distinct districts such as the outskirts of Tokyo, with its narrow streets and telephone cables that overlook the houses, or the port area characterized by imposing cranes and brutalist architecture. The beating heart, however, will be the center of Tokyo, where we will be able to whizz between Shibuya Crossing, Ginko Avenue and the Tokyo Tower. The goal of the developers was not to recreate every single street on a 1:1 scale, but to capture the essence and unique "feeling" of Japan, offering us a space with a very high visual density between neon, advertising signs and unprecedented verticality.

One of the most interesting new features in terms of progression is the introduction of the Collection Journal, a feature inspired by the Japanese tradition of collectible stamps. As we discover points of interest, we can add digital memories to our diary, taking photos of monuments or murals and personalizing everything with a personal touch. This activity will not only be aesthetic, but will generate direct progress towards our rank in the festival. In addition, we will be able to manage Akiya properties, which are abandoned rural houses that we can restore and transform into our personal estate. This space will be completely customizable: we will be able to build private tracks or mountain huts using the credits earned by competing or exploring the world.

As for the social component, Forza Horizon 6 introduces Car Meets, inspired by the legendary spontaneous gatherings of Daikoku. In these spaces we will be able to meet other drivers in real time, admire their cars, download customized liveries or even buy the models that impress us the most. At launch we will have about 550 cars available, including the two protagonists of the cover: the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser and the brand new 2025 GR GT Prototype, which we will have the opportunity to test already in the first ten minutes of the game during a breathtaking prologue in the Japanese Alps.

Forza Horizon 6 will arrive on May 19 including Game Pass Ultimate. For those who decide to focus on the Premium Edition, early access will instead begin on May 15, allowing us to take to the track a few days early. We leave you with the gameplay trailer and a set of images; enjoy!