[UPDATE - January 22, 2026] During the Xbox Developer Direct 2026, Microsoft and Playground Games confirmed that Forza Horizon 6 will indeed launch on May 19 for PC and Xbox, while a PS5 version will be released later in 2026.
[ORIGINAL STORY] It appears that a leak in Forza Horizon 5 may have inadvertently revealed the launch date of Forza Horizon 6 well ahead of next week's Xbox Developer Direct show.
According to X user XBOXF10, a pop-up ad revealed that the game will launch on May 19, although early access will start four days early for those who pre-purchase the Premium Edition or get the Premium Upgrade.
- Pre-order now and get a pre-tuned and exclusive Ferrari J50 in Forza Horizon 6! Discover the breathtaking landscapes of Japan in over 550 real-world cars and become a racing Legend in Forza Horizon's biggest open world driving adventure yet.
Pre-order Forza Horizon 6 Premium Edition or get the Premium Upgrade featuring:
- Early Access - Play 4 days early, starting May 15
- VIP Membership
- Welcome Pack
- Car Pass
- Time Attack Car Pack
- Italian Passion Car Pack (coming post-launch)
- 2 Premium Expansions (coming post-launch)
This date follows an earlier rumor from insider Nate the Hate, who claimed that the British developer was targeting the first half of 2026 for Forza Horizon 6. The studio's other big game slated to appear at the Xbox Developer Direct, Fable, might then target a Fall 2026 window.
The sixth entry in the Forza Horizon franchise comes on the heels of the incredible success and acclaim of the fifth installment, which registered over 50 million players to date and performed very well even on PlayStation 5. Forza Horizon may have started as an open world arcade spin-off of Forza Motorsport, but over time, it far surpassed Turn 10's more regular race-based simcade series. Now, following the latest Turn 10 layoffs, it is believed that the developer based in Redmond, Washington, has essentially become a support team for FH, at least for the time being.
Forza Horizon 6 is set in Japan and will feature a fantastic open world experience for fans, as teased a while ago by the developers. It will be released for PC and Xbox Series S and X consoles, as per the original announcement, with a PlayStation 5 version coming at a later date.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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