Playground Games has released a new Forza Horizon 6 trailer focused on Japan’s environments, giving a quick tour of the map’s major biome variety before the game arrives on May 19.
The trailer highlights several distinct regions, including highlands, an alpine area, coastal stretches, mountains, and open plains. It’s a clear signal that Horizon 6 is leaning into contrast and elevation more aggressively than previous entries, instead of building the map around one dominant biome type.
Microsoft and the Forza team have outlined this direction from the very beginning, leaning heavily into what makes Japan and its car culture unique, rather than bringing over its Horizon festival and sprinkling it with just a bit of regional flavor.
The trailer is another subtle confirmation of the fact that the devs truly got the assignment and are not squandering the premise of bringing Horizon to the heart of Japan. There are so many little details, like neatly placed wind chimes, rows of cabbages in the gardens, and small fish that are breaking the surface of the water near the boats. Most regular players will never notice these details, but they will make those particular gamers who enjoy the sense of discovery even in arcade racing games will be beyond themselves with joy.
The biomes themselves are nothing short of stellar. From the twisty mountain roads of Gunma prefecture, through the lowland coastal roads buried in greenery, to streets full of Sakura petals fallen during the blooming season, to the snowy ranges of Hokkaido during winter.
All of this makes the approach seem incredibly authentic, and along with a big focus on JDM, the beating heart of automotive Japan, has us incredibly excited for the upcoming game.
Forza Horizon 6 launches May 19, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Store and Steam), and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and it will be available day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Premium Edition owners get early access starting May 15. A PlayStation 5 version is planned for later in 2026.
