The Forza Horizon 6 Release Date Just Leaked and Japan Is Coming Sooner Than We Thought
It looks like someone at Playground Games pressed the wrong button because the release date for our dream trip to Japan just flashed across screens in Forza Horizon 5.
I feel like we have been begging for a Japan setting since the Xbox One launched. We finally got the confirmation at the Tokyo Game Show last year, but now we have the specific dates to mark on our calendars. According to a leak spotted by XBOX INFINITE, a pre-order message briefly appeared inside Forza Horizon 5 that explicitly listed May 19, 2026 as the global release date for Forza Horizon 6.
This wasn't some shady 4chan text file. This was an in-game asset that seemingly went live too early. It matches perfectly with the typical Tuesday release schedule for big Xbox titles. If you are willing to pay extra for the Premium Edition, the leak suggests you will be drifting up Mount Fuji four days early on May 15, 2026.
The Japan Setting Is Actually Real
The leak reinforces everything we saw during the reveal at TGS 2025. The game is moving the festival to Japan, and the scope sounds ridiculous. We are talking about a stylized version of Tokyo for urban street racing, the winding roads of Hokkaido, and obviously the iconic Mount Fuji.
The switch to the latest ForzaTech engine is the big selling point here. Forza Horizon 5 already looked incredible, but a dense, neon-lit city like Tokyo requires a different level of tech to run smoothly at high speeds. I am genuinely curious to see how the Series S handles that density, but for Series X and PC players, this is going to be the visual benchmark for the rest of the generation.
Premium Editions and Car Packs
The leak didn't just stop at the date. It gave us a look at the post-launch roadmap too. The Premium Edition is set to include the usual suspects like VIP Membership and the Car Pass, but the specific car packs are what caught my eye.
There is a Time Attack Car Pack mentioned, which fits the Japanese tuning culture perfectly. There is also a post-launch Italian Passion Car Pack listed. Microsoft is sticking to their two-expansion model as well, so we can expect massive map additions down the line.
All Eyes on January 22
While a May release feels incredibly soon, it lines up with the upcoming Xbox Developer Direct on January 22. It makes total sense that Microsoft would want to drop the release date trailer there and open pre-orders immediately.
I am treating this as all but confirmed. The source is the game itself, and the timing is too perfect. After spending hundreds of hours in Mexico, I am more than ready to trade the desert for the drift mountains of Japan.
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