Forza Horizon 6 is all set to arrive on May 19, 2026, and everyone’s buzzing about all the new features and gameplay. The Eliminator mode is returning to Forza Horizon 6, where up to 72 players drop into a shrinking arena, then honk to challenge someone to a head-to-head sprint race.
The stakes are simple: the winner takes the loser’s car or levels up their own. Last player standing wins. This gamemode had originally been introduced in Forza Horizon 4 post-launch, then stuck around for Horizon 5 and now Horizon 6.
There’s an obvious split opinion on it. Some players used to grind Eliminator mode daily, while others ignored it completely. Now, whether or not Horizon 6 offers something different, that’s yet to be seen. For now, here’s all you need to know.
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What’s The Eliminator About?
In the beginning, everyone gets the same starter car. In Forza Horizon 4, it’s a 1965 Mini Cooper S, while Horizon 5 uses a 1963 VW Beetle. We expect Horizon 6 to feature a similar starter car.
You pick your spawn location on the map, then drop in. As the arena shrinks in stages, it paces up naturally. Stage 1 pulls to half the map size, then quarters, eighths, and keeps closing in with those pink dome walls. If you stray out of the zone too long, the timeout meter fills.
Cars are dropped from drones, giving out random cars at levels 1-10. Your goal is to win head-to-head races until only 8-12 players are left in the game. Then, everyone races to a single checkpoint, a pure sprint to victory.
It’s a break from that usual solo playlist. Eliminator is actually fun for a lot of people, and you can feel the intensity rise as the circle closes in on you. The final race is straight up heat of the moment, and you’re able to get a leg up if you know your way around the map and its hidden shortcuts.
Why The Hate?
Then we have the flip side of the coin. Cheaters often spawn high-level cars by hacking, glitching walls, or camping drops. Queues seem to stretch forever sometimes, and you find yourself waiting ages for a match, only to end up in an uneven lobby.
Forza Horizon 5’s Mexico map made things worse, seemingly revolving around the Eliminator mode. Too many empty flats and bush scrambles made players wonder if the map design was catered to the Eliminator mode.
Players hated how Eliminator zones cluttered the festival and clogged the map, as apparent from many forum outcries. Timeouts punished anyone who tried to get a little creative, and if you lost a head-to-head? That was it, no respawns, no second entries.
“Bloat” and “filler content” are thrown around when Eliminator comes into the conversation, but there’s still a decent number of players who do enjoy the game mode, hence why we witness its return.
Forza Horizon 6 Could Unite The Community
Forza Horizon 6 has officially listed The Eliminator in its multiplayer game modes lineup. They haven’t mentioned if an open-world arena is confirmed. Japan’s map looks promising, with supposedly 5 times bigger city districts than its predecessor. If you ask me, touge nights and dockside sprints could really suit the zone shrinks.
Custom garages and designated car meet spots will add depth to the game, and with more than 550 cars at launch, you can expect a fun ride into the horizon. If Playground Games dedicate a decent zone and patch the worst exploits, The Eliminator could finally thrive as an enjoyable mode. If not, expect ragequits to continue.
