Xbox Developer Direct 2026 opened with Forza Horizon 6, as UK studio Playground Games finally gave fans a proper look at what’s next for the series.

As previously revealed, the game is set in Japan, where you begin your journey as a tourist. Your first objective is to join the Horizon Festival, and from there you build your career step by step, unlocking new areas as you progress.

Playground said Japan will be the largest map in the Horizon franchise so far. The studio worked with consultants to ensure its depiction of Japan is as authentic as possible, and the developers themselves traveled to Japan to collect extensive reference material. There will be hundreds of cars, with a better-balanced roster, plus new cosmetic tyre-wear options.

Playground also confirmed that every playable house comes with a customizable garage. You can invite your friends over to see what you’ve built: your Estate starts out empty and overgrown, but you can build directly in the open world, and everything can be visited by your friends. It genuinely sounds a bit like Animal Crossing – but with horsepower and festival chaos. Based on the footage shown during the Direct, Forza Horizon 6 is already looking seriously impressive.