Unlike most series, Forza Horizon has continually surpassed itself with each individual entry. Introducing more cars, more exciting things to do and even better Showcase Races. But what has continually been enhanced as the series has grown has been the world Playground Games create, making players feel like they’re genuinely in a scaled version of the country the game is in.
With Forza Horizon 6, the setting of Japan looks genuinely stunning. Mount Fuji peers over the condensed Land of the Rising Sun, with Tokyo being the largest city ever to feature in the franchise. From the footage shared at the Xbox Developer Direct, January 2026 we know that this is a current-gen visual showcase, being the first Horizon that hasn’t been developed for previous generation hardware.
What has steeped the previous two Horizon games in even more beauty has been its seasons. With Horizon 4 – set in the UK – the studio certainly met their marketing tagline, “Seasons change everything”. With seasonal changes that happened every week in the real world – winter snow, autumnal leaf fall and bright blue skies in the summer – the game always felt fresh. Seasons not just changed the look, but also the feel of Horizon 4.
With less stark seasons in Horizon 5’s ever-sunny Mexico, Playground are dialing back in on seasons with Horizon 6. Speaking in a new interview with IGN, Art Director, Don Arceta said “Obviously, a lot of people have an idea of what Japan in their minds and a lot of that is seasonality”.
Arcata speaks of the real-life micro seasons in the country and how they’re adapted into the game’s four core seasons, which again will change on a weekly basis. “Japan has, in real-life, 72 micro seasons and, with those micro seasons, foliage changing, there’s wildlife changes, and us breaking that down into the four main ones was real exciting,” says Arceta. “Just capturing the most beautiful version of that season in the location. It’s such striking differences between each season. I know our environment team were super excited to just jump on and build this version of Japan that we have”.
Players will easily notice obvious visual changes in the seasons such as Suzuki grass and blooming cherry blossom trees. But, masters of their craft, Playground will be introducing extra layers of immersion including nature itself. Fireflies will appear during the summer nights in locations they would in the real world; and koi carp will swim in specific ponds around Japanese shrines, and they will even swim away as you approach. Another seasonal subtlety is during the winter season, cars will spit out visible exhaust fumes and water vapor.
In Horizon 4, winter meant that the roads were almost all covered in snow and ice. Though fun for a while, the skidding and rear tyre kick did start to hamper player experience for those who wanted a standard driving experience. Playground have learned from these lessons and built Japan accordingly.
Production Director, Mike Bennett said their compromise was based on Japan itself: “Hey, the Japanese are actually pretty good at keeping the roads clear.’ So, our asphalt roads, generally those are clear from snow. But, if you start to venture off road onto the gravel roads, the dirt roads, we keep a bit more snow on those. So if you’re someone that’s seeking that more rough and ready off-road feel, you’re going to get that more authentic snow experience in winter”. Also, one of Horizon 6’s biomes, the Alpine region is a snow-covered space for players to enjoy snow drifts all year round.
Though as aesthetic as the seasons are, seasons in real-world Japan bring different cultural events. Playground have strived to capture those with Horizon 6 to make the player feel connected to its universe. During summer players will see kites fly for the kite festival; meanwhile in autumn your sky will be lit up with glowing lanterns.
With seasons, a dense and realised world, and over 500 cars to drive, Horizon 6 is enabling photo mode enthusiasts to create some of the best captures in any racer, ever. During the first four weeks of the games launch, as the seasons transition we can expect to see some stunning images across social feeds. This world is going to be even more special shared with friends as Horizon 6 features full campaign co-op, with an improved progression system.
Forza Horizon 6 arrives on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PC (Windows and Steam) on May 19, 2026. A PlayStation 5 version will arrive later this year.
What’s your favourite season in the recent Horizon titles? Which biome are you heading to first? Let us know in the comments below or join the friendly and active Gamer Social Club Discord to chat about all your favourite racing games.
