← all stories gamesrelease 7 sources · 3d ago

Forza Horizon 6 Steam Concurrent Player Count Surpasses 270,000 After Official Release

The concurrent player record, which more than tripled the previous series high of 81,000 set by Forza Horizon 5, signals that the Japan setting and expanded scope have drawn a substantially larger PC audience than any prior entry.

Reporting from 7 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), Denfaminicogamer, ASCII.jp, Automaton, and 3 more.

Forza Horizon 6 Steam Concurrent Player Count Surpasses 270,000 After Official Release

Microsoft and Playground Games released Forza Horizon 6 on May 19 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a PlayStation 5 version planned for late 2026. The open-world racing game, the first in the series set in Japan, features over 550 real-world vehicles and the largest map in franchise history. Premium Edition buyers received early access starting May 15, during which the game recorded a peak of 172,000 concurrent Steam users, the highest in series history. Within a day of the official launch, that record climbed to over 270,000 concurrent players, according to SteamDB data. The game also holds a Metacritic score of 92, the highest of any 2026 release so far. Steam user reviews shifted from Mixed during early access to Very Positive after the full launch, with Japanese-language reviews rated Very Positive and Chinese-language reviews Mixed. Some users reported launch issues related to Windows Gaming Services updates and hardware requirements. The Standard Edition costs 9,800 yen, the Deluxe Edition 14,000 yen, and the Premium Edition 16,800 yen. The game is also available through Xbox and PC Game Pass.

During early access, the game reached #1 on the Steam sales ranking in Japan, according to ASCII.jp. The same outlet reported a peak concurrent player count of 180,000 during that period, a figure that climbed to over 270,000 after the full launch.

Some players have used the game's character creator to make "gyaru" (gal) style characters and take selfies, a trend that drew attention on social media, Denfaminicogamer reported. The game includes an "Archer" emote that allows selfie-style photos.

A separate Denfaminicogamer article noted that overseas users on Reddit expressed concern about cars driving through rice paddies in the game. One race, "Wind Farm Cross Country," has a course that goes over rice paddies. Comments on the forum included "Every Horizon event is a disaster for the locals" and "I feel really sorry."

Playground Games sent a promotional item to Japanese media: a controller holder shaped like a cup noodle container. When a controller is placed inside, the holder plays a slurping ramen sound. The item is not available for general sale, GAME Watch reported.

The physical edition for Xbox Series X has a reference price of 8,900 yen, according to GAME Watch.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 7 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

Forza Horizon 6 Steam Concurrent Player Count Surpasses 270,000 After Official Release

More on this

Sources