The Xbox TGS stream's most exciting reveal was just a bunch of licence plates, teasing Forza Horizon 6's Japanese setting

Forza Horizon 6 - Official Teaser Trailer | Tokyo Game Show 2025 - YouTube Forza Horizon 6 - Official Teaser Trailer | Tokyo Game Show 2025 - YouTube
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Oh boy. Xbox's TGS stream didn't exactly set my heart a flutter for most of its duration, but then we got a lovely little treat at the end. Forza Horizon is back, baby, and it's heading to Japan.

Forza Horizon 6's teaser didn't give much away, mostly just showing a bunch of licence plates from the countries the series has raced through, but how could I not get excited by the end, when we see Mount Fuji?

Sure, Forza Horizon 4 will always have a special place in my heart, since it made Blighty the star, and even let me drive around my old university haunting grounds in Edinburgh. There's nothing quite like playing a game and being able to point out a specific set of steps you once puked up on because you were 19 and couldn't hold your whisky.

But Japan is an equally tantalising prospect, with its extreme terrain, densely-packed cities and striking vistas. Forza Horizon is always a looker, and I can't wait to see what Playground Games does with the new setting.

And, of course, Japan is a serious car country, boasting lots of manufacturers as well as a vibrant racing scene. There's a lot more to it than Tokyo Drift.

"For a long time, Japan has been top of Horizon fans' wish lists, so we're excited to finally be bringing this much-requested location to players in Forza Horizon 6," art director Don Arceta said in an interview accompanying the announcement. "Japan has such a unique culture—from cars, to music, to fashion—that make[s] it perfect for the next Horizon setting."

Mount Fuji starred in the teaser, but Playground isn't spilling the beans on the other locations it's drawing from, though naturally we'll be visiting Tokyo.

"While we're not announcing too much in terms of detail right now, we're excited to show fans the true breadth of beauty—both natural and urban environments—that Japan has to offer," said Arceta. "From the neon lights and towering buildings of Tokyo City—one of our most detailed and layered environments to date—to the serenity and natural beauty of Japan's rural and mountain areas, we think players will be blown away by the open world of Japan that we have built."

Playground's goal isn't to create a 100% accurate facsimile of Japan, and like the other games in the series, it's more about authenticity. "Our goal has always been to capture the country's unique cultural essence and present it back in the most Horizon way possible," said Arceta.

The interview also teased a bit of what we can expect from the cars themselves. "In Japanese car culture, the depth and diversity is astonishing," said cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita. "Kei cars and vans with cult followings, precision motorsport, drifting's roots, and their passion for customization really stands out. It's welcoming to different levels of enthusiasm and knowledge, which is exactly the kind of layered world I want players to feel."

And changing seasons will be returning too, unsurprisingly. "Horizon players will be well acquainted with seasonal changes as a core part of the experience," said Arceta. "For Japan, seasonal changes have a dramatic impact on the landscape and playable world, but also hold a deeper cultural meaning for the country and its culture."

The changes brought about by the season system, "inform the world," Yamashita said, down to tiny details like station chimes or summer wind bells. "Those are quiet choices, but they carry a lot of truth."

I'm properly pumped for this one, and Xbox says we'll be finding out more in early 2026.

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Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog. 

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