Forza Horizon 6 is still gated behind its $120 early access, but it’s already breaking franchise records

Yesterday, we wrote how Forza Horizon 6 is bringing back memories of the mid-2000s since it's now the best-reviewed game of the year with an average score of 92. It's also the most-played Forza game of all time, at least on PC, even though it's only available to players who paid for the $120 early access edition. According to SteamDB, Forza Horizon 6 has peaked at over 170,000 concurrent players today. That's more than double Horizon 5's full-release peak numbers, since this only accounts for those who dished out the extra cash to play the game before anyone else. If these are the early access numbers, I can't begin to imagine just how many people will flood in to play this new racing title after it goes live for everyone on May 19. Yeah, those aesthetics are peak. Image via Microsoft Now, Forza Horizon games have garnered a lot of good rep due to their great graphics, good handling, car customization options, open maps, and plenty of fun activities for you to engage in. But what I think is happening here is that, not only does the game play well, it's also set in Japan, the most romanticized country in our modern day and age. I think, by that notion alone, this was inevitably going to become the most-played Forza game of all time. After all, Japan still garners an incredibly active car culture and has always been one of the main artistic inspirations for car movies, games, and shows in the West. Movies like Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift are only one example of the country's status among car and racing enthusiasts, which, combined with the current-day pop culture dominance that Japan has, produced Microsoft's golden ticket. We gave Forza Horizon 6 a 9 out of 10 and praised its stunning visuals and gameplay. It's 2026's best-reviewed game so far and stands to remain so with its incredibly high average score of 92. The post Forza Horizon 6 is still gated behind its $120 early access, but it’s already breaking franchise records appeared first on Destructoid.

May 16, 2026 - 01:22

Forza Horizon 6 is still gated behind its $120 early access, but it’s already breaking franchise records

Yesterday, we wrote how Forza Horizon 6 is bringing back memories of the mid-2000s since it's now the best-reviewed game of the year with an average score of 92. It's also the most-played Forza game of all time, at least on PC, even though it's only available to players who paid for the $120 early access edition.

According to SteamDB, Forza Horizon 6 has peaked at over 170,000 concurrent players today. That's more than double Horizon 5's full-release peak numbers, since this only accounts for those who dished out the extra cash to play the game before anyone else. If these are the early access numbers, I can't begin to imagine just how many people will flood in to play this new racing title after it goes live for everyone on May 19.

Yeah, those aesthetics are peak. Image via Microsoft Now, Forza Horizon games have garnered a lot of good rep due to their great graphics, good handling, car customization options, open maps, and plenty of fun activities for you to engage in. But what I think is happening here is that, not only does the game play well, it's also set in Japan, the most romanticized country in our modern day and age.

I think, by that notion alone, this was inevitably going to become the most-played Forza game of all time. After all, Japan still garners an incredibly active car culture and has always been one of the main artistic inspirations for car movies, games, and shows in the West.

Movies like Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift are only one example of the country's status among car and racing enthusiasts, which, combined with the current-day pop culture dominance that Japan has, produced Microsoft's golden ticket.

We gave Forza Horizon 6 a 9 out of 10 and praised its stunning visuals and gameplay. It's 2026's best-reviewed game so far and stands to remain so with its incredibly high average score of 92.

The post Forza Horizon 6 is still gated behind its $120 early access, but it’s already breaking franchise records appeared first on Destructoid.

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