Playground Games has officially revealed the full multiplayer offering for Forza Horizon 6. The suite is called Horizon Play, and it covers everything from returning fan favourites to brand new competitive modes built around Japan’s car culture.
The game launches on May 19, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Microsoft Store and Steam. Premium Edition players get early access starting May 15. A PS5 version is also confirmed for later in the year, and Playground Games has confirmed cross-play support across all platforms, including PS5.
What Is Horizon Play?
Horizon Play is the multiplayer suite inside Forza Horizon 6. Playground Games revealed the in-game menu on social media, showing the XP bar for level progression, the account’s current level and rank, and a variety of available game modes, with more hinted below the scroll bar.
The menu confirms both returning modes and newly added ones that will be live on day one.
New Modes
Two new competitive modes are joining the roster.
Spec Racing includes dirt and road racing, but every player uses the same car, which levels the playing field. There are no custom modifications allowed, so results come down to driver skill.
Touge Showdown is a 1v1 mode that rotates across five preset mountain routes, based on the single-player versions of the same events. The races take place on narrow mountain passes inspired by Japan’s landscape. An online championship mode cycles through all five routes continuously for anyone who wants back-to-back head-to-head competition.
Touge Battles are not tied to the main festival progression, so players can jump in after unlocking Horizon Festival, which takes roughly one hour of gameplay.
Returning Modes at Launch
Horizon Play brings back classic modes, including Horizon Racing and The Eliminator, the battle royale-style mode where players race from one point to another across a section of the map, with losing racers eliminated along the way.
The Eliminator now starts all players in a 1984 Honda City. That’s a change from previous entries where the starter car varied.
Hide and Seek, which was added post-launch in Forza Horizon 5, is now available from day one in Forza Horizon 6. The mode puts one player in hiding while five others attempt to find them.
Open World Multiplayer Activities
Outside of the dedicated competitive modes, Horizon Play also includes shared activities built into the open world.
Time Attack Circuits and Drag Meets are seamlessly part of the open world, with no loading screens and no matchmaking required. They include an in-world leaderboard.
Players can also earn co-op LINK skills with other players and show off customised cars at Car Meets.
Forzathon Live has been renamed to Stunt Party. The co-op group event format returns under that new name.
EventLab, the custom track builder, now supports multiplayer building through a feature called Horizon CoLab, where players can create events together anywhere in Japan’s open world. Community creations can be shared for everyone to play.
Legend Island is a high-level area that unlocks only once players reach the highest rank in the Horizon Festival. It features its own Festival Outpost, exclusive events, and serves as the starting point for the game’s Goliath race.
Launch Date and Platforms
Forza Horizon 6 releases May 19, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, PC via Microsoft Store and Steam, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The PS5 version arrives later in 2026. Steam pre-sales have already crossed 500,000 copies.