Forza Horizon 6 is set in Japan, and while Playground Games lets players smash through much of the environment with their cars, one important element remains completely protected: cherry blossom trees. The developers say this was a deliberate decision, because sakura is an iconic part of Japanese culture and was not something they wanted to treat as just another destructible roadside object. The protection also extends beyond trees, as certain temples, shrines and other cultural elements cannot be destroyed either.

Forza Horizon 6 officially launches on May 19, but buyers of the Premium Edition are already playing through early access. Playground Games’ new installment takes the series to Japan, where driving, stunts, open exploration and environmental destruction all form part of the experience. Players earn experience points by smashing through fences, knocking down trees, driving over scenery and generally creating mayhem across the map. That freedom is not absolute, however, because a few elements have been deliberately removed from the game’s destructible scenery.

Cherry Blossom Trees Are Indestructible In Forza Horizon 6

In the world of Forza Horizon 6, players can destroy almost everything, but not cherry blossom trees. Entire stretches of ordinary forest can be wiped out during aggressive driving, and thousands of regular trees can disappear under the wheels of speeding cars, but sakura trees remain untouched. Torben Ellert, design director of Forza Horizon 6, explained the decision in an interview with The Japan Times: “Almost all the trees in the game are destructible to ensure that exploring the world map is fun and rewarding, but several types of trees are not, such as cherry blossoms, because they are an iconic element of Japanese culture.”

The decision is not limited to cherry blossom trees. Playground Games has also protected certain temples, shrines and other culturally important Japanese locations from collisions, meaning players cannot destroy them even by driving directly into them at high speed. This is similar to the approach taken by the developers of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, who prevented players from destroying temples in feudal Japan. In both cases, the idea is clear: open-world freedom does not automatically override cultural respect.

Sakura, the Japanese word for cherry blossoms, is considered a symbol of renewal in Japan and turns the country into a major global tourist destination every spring. Cherry trees are not just a pretty visual element, but an integral part of Japanese cultural identity, which is why Forza Horizon 6 treats them differently from ordinary scenery. The game has not even officially launched yet, but it is already drawing huge attention: it has surpassed 170,000 concurrent players on Steam during early access, with all of those players having paid €120 for the Premium Edition, which includes two upcoming expansions, several days of early access and additional extras.

Source: 3DJuegos