The release date for Forza Horizon 6 may have surfaced earlier than planned, following a reported in-game appearance that points to a May 19, 2026, launch. The information was shared by XBOX INFINITE, which claimed that the date briefly appeared inside Forza Horizon 5, accompanied by pre-order messaging for the upcoming racing title.
Players were shown a prompt encouraging them to pre-order Forza Horizon 6, with the message highlighting an exclusive, pre-tuned Ferrari J50 as a bonus vehicle. The same listing reportedly confirmed May 19, 2026, as the standard release date. In addition, early access was referenced for Premium Edition owners, allowing play to begin four days earlier on May 15. These details align closely with previous Forza Horizon release strategies, lending some credibility to the leak.
The pre-order information also outlined the contents of the Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade. These include VIP Membership, the Welcome Pack, Car Pass, and multiple themed car packs such as the Time Attack Car Pack and Italian Passion Car Pack, the latter arriving after launch. Two premium expansions are also planned post launch, continuing the series tradition of substantial content support beyond release.
Forza Horizon 6 is the next major entry in Playground Games’ open world racing franchise and was officially revealed during the 2025 Tokyo Game Show. The game moves the Horizon Festival to Japan, featuring a large-scale open world that blends urban environments with rural landscapes. Confirmed locations include a stylized version of Tokyo, Mount Fuji, and the winding mountain roads of Hokkaido. The setting was selected in response to long-standing fan demand and is designed to showcase Japan’s automotive culture, from high-speed city racing to precision drifting.
The game is being developed using the latest version of the ForzaTech engine, with Playground Games promising the largest and most detailed map in the series to date. At launch, Forza Horizon 6 is scheduled to release on Xbox Series X and S as well as PC via Steam and Windows, with a Day One debut on Game Pass.
While the reported May 19 release date remains unofficial, a major gameplay deep dive has already been confirmed for the Xbox Developer Direct on January 22, 2026. Until then, the leak offers a clearer picture of what to expect, even if Microsoft chooses to keep things quiet just a little longer.
