A new leak suggests that Forza Horizon 6 might come out as early as May 2026. This information came from Xbox Infinite on X, who shared a photo that seems to be from the game. The image shows what's included in the Premium Edition of Forza Horizon 6 and also mentions early access dates, which could mean the game might be available worldwide around that time.
The Forza Horizon series started back in 2012 and has grown a lot since then. It's an open-world game that's more fun and less realistic compared to Forza Motorsport. Each game in this series has been well received, with Forza Horizon 5 from 2021 getting the best reviews so far. It has a 92 Top Critic score on OpenCritic and won three Game Awards in 2021.
After being away for five years, Forza Horizon is back this year, and fans are excited for a bigger and better version. Forza Horizon 6 will take players to Japan, which is a big request from fans. They'll be able to drive around famous spots like Mount Fuji and Tokyo. If the new leak is true, fans might get to experience Japan in the game sooner than expected.
The first pop-up message says that if you buy the Premium Edition of Forza Horizon 6, you’ll get 4 days of early access, starting on May 15. That suggests the game’s official release date is May 19, 2026. Although all leaks and rumors should be treated with caution, Xbox has given similar early access rewards for pre-orders of other first-party premium games, like Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. A May 2026 release date also lines up with a comment from leaker Nate The Hate in November 2025, who said Forza Horizon 6 is aiming for the first half of 2026.
However, it's worth noting that no other news outlet has managed to get this in-game pop-up to show up. The Verge’s Tom Warren asked on Xbox Infinite’s X account where the pop-up appeared, and the person who posted it said it showed up when they left the garage and before they started receiving their car. In its report about this leak, Xbox Era also mentioned they couldn’t get the pop-up to appear in Forza Horizon 5.
Luckily, fans won't have to wait too long to find out if these leaks are real. Forza Horizon 6 is already set to be announced during the Xbox Developer Direct on January 22, so it's very likely that its release date will be officially shared then. Especially if the game is planned to come out as early as May. May 2026 sounds like a solid time for Forza Horizon 6, since Grand Theft Auto 6 will be taking up the whole month, and other games like 007 First Light and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will only be coming out towards the end of May.