Xbox is gearing up for a major reveal of its next racing game, Forza Horizon 6, as fans continue to enjoy new content for Forza Horizon 5 (FH5). Playground Games, the developer behind the series, is shifting focus to the upcoming title, signaling the end of updates for Forza Motorsport.
Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios, told Variety, “Playground Games is going to be in the Dev Direct, but we’ll have more stuff next year to ship than we can fit into one Dev Direct show in January.” Industry insiders expect a full gameplay reveal, potentially with advanced graphics like ray tracing, global illumination, and realistic shadows.
Forza Horizon 6 will launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC first. A PlayStation 5 version is planned but will arrive later, potentially with PS5 Pro Enhanced features. Ironically, this could make the PlayStation edition the technically superior version at launch.
Meanwhile, FH5 is adding four new reward cars in January. Players can earn the 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR by scoring 20 points during the Summer “Wet” Season on the Horizon Holidays Festival Playlist until January 8. The car delivers 267 hp, 228 lb-ft of torque, and can accelerate to 62 mph in 5.1 seconds.
The 2010 Rossion Q1 is available from January 8 to 15. Built on the Noble M400 chassis, it features a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine producing 453 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. It hits 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and 100 mph in 7.8 seconds.
From January 15 to 22, the 1991 Toyota Chaser GT Twin Turbo can be earned, boasting a 2.5-liter twin-turbo 1JZ-GTE engine with 276 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. Completing the lineup is the 2013 Volvo C30 Polestar, a rare 1-of-250 hatchback with 247 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque.
Weekly “Horizon Backstage Votes” let players influence future content, with matchups between classic and modern cars such as the 1995 BMW 850CSi versus the 2010 BMW M3 GTS. Seasonal rewards include vehicles like the 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup and the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser Arctic Trucks AT37. Lunar New Year series adds the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 6 and 2015 MG MG3.
FH5 continues to attract players. SteamDB data shows nearly 27,000 concurrent players in the past 24 hours, with peak participation exceeding 81,000 at launch in November 2021. Analysts predict FH6 could surpass these numbers given the hype surrounding next-gen features.
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