Forza Horizon 6 Hits Big Steam Numbers in Early Access, Despite Full Launch Still Days Away

Forza Horizon 6 has already drawn an impressive player count on Steam, even though its official release is still days away. While publisher Xbox Game Studios and developer Playground Games won't officially launch the open-world racer until next week, buyers of the pricier Premium Edition gained early access today, May 15, on PC (Xbox App and Steam) and Xbox Series X and S. Despite the $119.99 price tag, the Steam version peaked at 172,093 concurrent users (via SteamDB) and is hovering around 160,000 players at the time of writing. That far exceeds Forza Horizon 5's all-time Steam peak of just over 80,000 players in November 2021. It's unclear if the numbers will climb further today or over the weekend, but they're likely to rise when the official launch hits next week. Steam, just one platform for the game, currently ranks Forza Horizon 6 as the second best-selling game globally, behind Subnautica 2, which launched yesterday with even bigger stats. Five years after the Mexico-set Forza Horizon 5, the new installment takes players to Japan-inspired locations, a setting that seems to drive its early success following strong reviews. IGN gave it a 10/10, calling it a "masterpiece" that sets a new standard for open-world racing. If you're playing, you may notice that shrines, temples, and cherry blossom trees are indestructible—for a good reason. The base game launches on PC and Xbox Series X and S on May 19, 2026, for $69.99. Check out our full launch coverage and the first Festival Playlist rewards arriving May 21.