Forza Horizon 6 Becomes One of 2026's biggest game launches

Forza Horizon 6 has exploded onto the gaming scene with a launch that is already being described as a massive commercial and critical success. The newest entry in Xbox’s open-world racing franchise attracted enormous attention even before its official release, with early-access sales alone reportedly generating more than $140 million worldwide.

Impressive numbers

Much of that success came from players purchasing the Premium Edition, which granted several days of Advanced Access before the standard launch date. Thousands of fans rushed to experience the game ahead of everyone else, helping the title dominate digital storefronts and online gaming discussions throughout the week.

The game's performance on Steam has been particularly impressive. Within its first days of availability via Advanced Access, Forza Horizon 6 reached record-breaking concurrent player numbers, far surpassing previous entries in the series. The combination of strong marketing, positive previews, and the highly requested Japanese setting created unprecedented excitement around the release.

Set across a detailed recreation of Japan, the game offers players a diverse open world filled with neon-lit city streets, mountain passes, countryside roads, and dynamic weather systems. Developers at Playground Games have described it as the largest and most ambitious map the franchise has ever produced. The title also launches with hundreds of customizable vehicles, expanded online features, and major graphical improvements built specifically for current-generation hardware.

Despite the overwhelmingly positive launch, the release was not without controversy. Days before launch, a PC version of the game leaked online, leading to widespread piracy concerns. Playground Games warned that accounts using unauthorized copies could face permanent bans from online services. Even so, the leak appears to have had little impact on the game's momentum or sales performance.

The success of Forza Horizon 6 represents another major win for Xbox and Microsoft as the company continues expanding its gaming ecosystem across consoles and PC. Forza Horizon 6 is already one of the best-selling racing games of the year and can potentially become the most successful entry in the history of the franchise. If you don't want to miss this amazing experience, use our comparator to find the best discounts for Forza Horizon 6 on your platform of choice. The game is already available on PS5 and Xbox Series, and it will be playable on PC in just a few hours.