Xbox CEO Asha Shar has revealed that Forza Horizon 6 has already become the most played early access release in the history of the franchise.
Posting on X, Shar celebrated the game’s launch weekend and praised Playground Games for the milestone achievement. “Amazing to see so many players exploring Forza Horizon 6 this weekend, making this the most played Early Access in series history,” Shar said.
Shar also congratulated Playground Games for maintaining a strong critical track record across multiple releases, calling the studio’s run of highly rated titles “an exceptionally rare accomplishment in this industry.”
The announcement arrives shortly after Forza Horizon 6 climbed to the top of Metacritic’s highest-rated games of 2026 rankings with an aggregate score of 92, overtaking Pokémon Pokopia. Critics have widely praised the game’s open-world recreation of Japan, visual presentation, and racing systems.
The title has also posted strong Steam numbers ahead of its full launch, previously reaching more than 178,000 concurrent players despite early access currently being limited to Premium Edition owners.
Developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, Forza Horizon 6 officially launches on May 19, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC. A PlayStation 5 version is scheduled to release later this year.
Set in a fictionalized version of Japan, the game features large-scale urban and rural environments inspired by Tokyo and Mount Fuji. Players progress through the Horizon Festival by participating in various racing events, including Touge Battles and street circuits.
