Rumors and a now-deleted Instagram post are giving fans a lot to be excited about, and all signs point to the next Forza Horizon being set in Japan. The post, which was from an Australian car import company, showed a Playground Games member digitally scanning a Kei for Forza Horizon 6.
Kei vehicles are a class of ultra-compact Japanese vehicles that are rarely seen outside of Japan. This has led many to believe that the Forza Horizon series will finally head to Japan, a location that has been requested since the first game. While the leak is a bit weak on its own, Windows Central has seen documentation that strongly suggests Forza Horizon 6 will be announced at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, which would make sense if the game is set in Japan.
Forza Horizon 6 May Take Place In Japan
Forza Horizon 5 is rapidly approaching its fourth birthday, and the game has already enjoyed immense success since its 2021 launch. It’s even been one of 2025’s best-selling games after its arrival on PlayStation. The game’s car list has over 800 unique vehicles, but that number has now stopped growing.
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The signs have been here for months that Xbox is preparing for a new era of Forza, with Forza Horizon 5 no longer receiving new content, instead recycling its years of constant monthly updates as whatever comes next cooks in the background. With the Tokyo Game Show focused on the Japanese gaming market, choosing to reveal Forza Horizon 6 there rather than at events like Gamescom only makes sense if the game is, in fact, set in Japan.
Now that we’re reasonably certain FH6 will be announced sooner rather than later, with a likely 2026 release window, we can talk about what to expect. Forza Horizon 6 will be built on the same upgraded ForzaTech engine that powers Forza Motorsport (2023) and the upcoming Fable reboot. This means we can expect major visual upgrades and enhancements to the driving physics. The game should be the deepest and most detailed Forza Horizon game yet.
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The Forza Motorsport simulation racing franchise may be effectively dead after heavy layoffs at developer Turn 10 Studios, but we also know the remainder of Turn 10 is now focused on supporting Playground with Forza Horizon. This means we can expect the game to be ambitious in scale and scope.
Forza Horizon 6 Needs A Few Changes
If FH6 really is set in Japan, it would hopefully fix one of the biggest issues many people have with the current entry. While Forza Horizon 5 is the biggest and most beautiful Forza Horizon game of all time, many racers claim the map, which is set in Mexico, is bland and boring. A Japanese setting will hopefully result in a more engaging and interesting map for long-time play. Japan has a thriving car culture that’s just perfect for the Horizon Festival.
I’d also like to see FH6 adopt a new approach to post-launch support with more varied and meaningful updates, even if they don’t arrive as frequently. Forza Horizon 5 enjoyed longer support than previous titles, but it also highlighted the weaknesses of the monthly updates centered around the Festival Playlist. The live service elements quickly grew repetitive, with the majority of updates feeling inconsequential apart from the addition of a handful of new cars.
Source: Windows Central
