Forza Horizon 6 has turned paid early access into a proper launch moment. More than 1 million players have already entered the game through its Premium Edition, which costs $119.99 and opened four days before the standard release. The full launch follows on May 19 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Game Pass access starting the same day.
The early rush shows how much pull the Japan setting has for the series. Fans have asked for it for years, and Playground Games is now using that location to build a festival around city streets, mountain roads, car culture, seasonal scenery, and more than 550 cars at launch.
Paid early access is usually for the most dedicated players, but Forza Horizon 6 has already moved beyond that small circle. The player count passed 1 million before the standard edition opened, with leaderboard data from an early in-game event helping show how many people had already jumped in.
That number matters because it comes before the Game Pass wave. Once the standard launch begins, many more players will be able to enter without buying the Premium Edition. For Xbox, this gives one of its biggest 2026 releases a strong head start before the wider audience arrives.
The Premium Edition includes the full game, VIP Membership, Welcome Pack, Car Pass, Time Attack Car Pack, Italian Passion Car Pack, and two later expansions. That is the package early players are paying for, not just the four-day head start.
The PC side has been loud from day one. Forza Horizon 6 passed Forza Horizon 5’s all-time Steam peak during early access, then climbed even higher after launch week momentum built. SteamDB currently lists an all-time peak of 273,148 concurrent players.
That is a huge jump for a series that has steadily grown on PC. Forza Horizon was once seen mainly as an Xbox console showcase, but the new numbers show how important Steam has become to the franchise.
The response has also helped keep the game visible on Steam’s charts. SteamDB lists user reviews as Very Positive, with more than 26,000 reviews tracked so far.
The strong start is not only about early access. The setting is a big part of why players are showing up so quickly. Forza Horizon 6 sends the festival to Japan, with a campaign built around discovery, racing, car collecting, and rising through the festival ranks.
That gives the game an easy selling point even for players who skipped earlier entries. Japan has been one of the most requested Horizon locations for years, especially because of its mix of city driving, mountain roads, tuning culture, and seasonal backdrops.
The full release opens the door to the larger Xbox and PC audience on May 19. A PlayStation 5 version is also planned for later, but no date has been announced yet.
