First Drive: A Forza Horizon 6 Starting Guide

The wait is over; Horizon Japan is finally open for players with Early Access and becomes available for everyone starting May 19. Here's all the content available in Series 1 starting May 21. Building your own legacy and becoming a Horizon Legend begins here. Let’s get started with your new adventure!

The breathtaking landscapes of Japan and the roaring sound of racing welcome you to a new Horizon Festival. Take a good look at the Regions presented to you during this introductory cinematic because you are going to explore and discover them all! Now, it's time to drive!

First, you will be getting behind the wheel of a 2024 Nissan GT-R Nismo as you speed through fields of the Hokubu region. Keep your eyes open for red-crowned cranes flying past and a bullet train running by your side.

Next, you’ll enter a bombastic race on snowy terrain via the 2021 RJ Anderson #37 Polaris RZR Pro 4 Truck, flanked by banners encouraging you to go #FasterTogether. We strongly recommend using your left stick as you jump to get a nice view of the scenery from many angles.

After the snow has cleared, you’re off to the mountains for your first taste of the iconic Touge roads of Japan. Use your 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 to catch the Mazda RX-7 Type R in front of you and watch other drivers join the fun in a 2023 BMW M2 and 2020 Toyota GR Supra. Before you know it, you’ll be in the Nangan region. Jump off the ramp and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime view as a rocket lifts off from Irokawa Space Center and into the stratosphere!

The finale of the Prologue brings it all together, featuring none other than Forza Horizon 6’s incredible cover car, the all-new 2025 GR GT Prototype. You’ll finish off the day in Horizon Japan with a Legend Convoy racing to the Horizon Festival at the heart of the map. It’s a stunning drive, featuring breathtaking views from the Shimanoyama region to Ohtani.

And now you start building your own story and forging your way to become a Legend!

Create Your Own Experience

Your journey through Japan begins with creating your character. Pick among the various options and make something that feels true to you. Don’t worry so much about your choices; you can always come back and edit your character whenever you want.

Remember to customize your assists and accessibility options in the Settings menu. Pick the options that suit you the most. Whether this is your first Horizon game or you’re a seasoned player, you will find settings that provide the right amount of challenge and learning. The most important rule is to enjoy yourself every step of the way! All settings can be changed at any time throughout your Horizon experience.

Your First Objective: Getting into the Horizon Festival

Head outside to meet with Mei and Jordy, your two pals eager to join the Horizon Festival with you. At this point, Mei will hand you your very own Collection Journal, here you will record all your findings across your adventure through Japan: Mascots, races, friends, and a lot more. Mei will also let you choose one of three cars to start in:

• 1989 Nissan Silvia K's

• 1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205

• 1970 GMC Jimmy

No matter your choice, all three cars will be added to your garage, and you will be able to drive them freely when you like.

In the car of your choice, you’ll follow Mei to discover your first region: Tokyo City, our largest urban area ever. On your drive, you might spot the Raku-Raku food delivery Job, which you can pick up later to earn some extra credits, and the iconic Tokyo Tower! Turns out, you weren’t just meeting Mei’s friends; you are actually testing a brand-new Horizon Event route! It’s not an ordinary test, though; this is the very first time you are entering a race in Forza Horizon 6, and you will do it in a borrowed 1998 Nissan Silvia K’s Aero. After this exciting race through Tokyo, all multiplayer modes will be unlocked. Try the new Horizon Play which includes modes like Spec Racing, The Eliminator, Touge Showdown, Hide & Seek, and a lot more.

You learn that Mei has signed you up for the Horizon Qualifiers: a series of events which, upon completing, will grant you an entry to the Horizon Invitational, which is your first opportunity to earn a Wristband and join the Horizon Festival.

At this point, your World Map will be unlocked. Access it via the Pause menu. Once there, you will see six available events:

• River Split – Speed Trap (PR Stunt)

• Airfield Trail – Trail Race

• Shirakawa Circuit – Circuit Race

• Highway View – Speed Zone (PR Stunt)

• Wind Farm Cross Country – Cross Country Race

• Hokubu Time Attack – Time Attack

These events can be done in any order; your goal is to earn enough Horizon Festival Points to secure you pass into the Horizon Invitational. Check your progress via the meter in the upper right corner. You will now be able to collect your Forza Loyalty Rewards (if applicable), review your Collection Journal, start creating with EventLab, and gain access to your Car Collection so you can switch into any vehicle you own. All these features are accessible through the Pause menu.

When you’ve earned enough Horizon Festival Points, you’ll enter your first Wristband Event: the Horizon Invitational. Take a 2020 BMW M2 Competition on a thrilling event filled with Horizon Festival energy.

Congratulations! With your first Wristband unlocked after this event, you are now officially part of the Horizon Festival. Not only are you entering the ranks of Horizon Japan, but you are also getting three new cars courtesy of the Festival’s organizers:

• 2022 Toyota GR86

• 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR TM Edition

• 2024 Ram 1500 TRX

Since you are now a part of the Festival, the Festival Playlist is now available. Events change each week, bringing new rewards for you to add to your collection. Make sure you come back each week to try a new Festival Playlist and unlock all rewards!

Japan Awaits: Your Real Adventure Starts Now!

Explore Japan at your own pace. Open your World Map and find icons for Mascots, Street Races, Touge Battles, Car Meets, and Time Attack Circuits: these events all added to your Collection Journal and count towards your Discover Japan progress. Once you have completed enough of them, you will earn your first Discover Japan Stamp. Keep exploring to earn all seven stamps! As you make progress in your Journal, you will earn rewards ranging from credits to Wheelspins to cars and more.

As you explore the map, you’ll encounter Aftermarket Cars: secondhand vehicles that match your current campaign progression. You might even find some rare Forza Edition cars!

These are not the only cars you can find on the road. Continue to discover new roads and locations to obtain photo clues of Treasure Cars: abandoned vehicles that you can find, restore, and add to your collection. Barn Finds are also making a comeback in Forza Horizon 6. The more you explore the map, the more Treasure Car clues you'll uncover and the more Aftermarket Cars you'll encounter; earning more Stamps will unlock additional Barn Find rumors.

After your first stamp is unlocked, Mei calls, asking you to visit her grandparents’ old, abandoned house – the Yashiki House. Purchasing this Player House will gain you access to Forza Horizon 6’s newest creative feature: the Estate. The Estate is the ultimate place to express your creativity. This mountain valley starts off completely empty and overgrown, but via your Estate tools, you can build and decorate directly in the open world. Anything you construct here is permanent and visitable by your friends!

Forza Horizon 6 launches with upgraded customization features. Feel free to take your favorite car and give it a completely new look using bodykits, rims, paint, and, for the first time ever, liveries and decals on windows! If you are looking for inspiration, you can search for liveries and tunes other players have made for your favorite cars and download them to use. Once you’ve made your cars your own, give them all a nice home by customizing your Garage.

Garages are a brand-new way to display your favorite cars. Showcase your personality by completely building your Garage to your liking. The interior of your Garage is fully customizable, you can build structures, add furniture, decorate with lights and posters, your imagination is the limit. Create anything you want to show off your car collection to the fullest. If you’d like to share your Garage with other players, they can visit, take a look at your cars, and download your Garage layout if they want to use it as inspiration for their own Garage customization! Needless to say, you can also download and use other players’ Garage layouts as well.

Only C class cars are available for use at events until you join the Festival and get your Yellow Wristband. Each Wristband after this ups the challenge, with events demanding you master faster, more thrilling cars. Earn your Golden Wristband to become a Horizon Legend and receive an invitation to Legend Island, an exclusive location with its own challenges, including a brand-new Goliath race.

Enjoy your journey, and we’ll see you at the Festival!