The numbers behind the hype
Alinea Analytics published data this week suggesting Forza Horizon 6 has already surpassed 500,000 sales on Steam, translating to roughly $30 million in gross revenue before the game has even launched. Their projections go further: the firm expects Forza Horizon 6 to blow past 2 million Steam sales within the first 24 hours of its May 19 release date.
For context, Forza Horizon 5 attracted over 10 million players in its first week, which at the time set a record for Xbox Game Studios. Horizon 6 is tracking ahead of that pace on Steam alone, before accounting for Xbox console sales or Game Pass subscribers.
One detail that stands out in the data: more than 50,000 players pre-ordered the game on the very first day it became available to purchase on Steam. That kind of day-one commitment, before a single review has dropped, reflects how much trust the Horizon brand has built over the years.
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The 500k figure covers Steam sales only. Console pre-orders and Game Pass activations are separate, meaning total launch numbers will likely be significantly higher.
Japan was always going to hit differently
Setting matters in this franchise, and Playground Games finally delivered the location fans have been requesting for years. Japan is not just a new backdrop; according to PC Gamer's Shaun Prescott, who got hands-on time with the game earlier this month, the Japan map is the series' best yet. That is a bold claim for a series that has visited Mexico, Australia, Britain, and the American Southwest.
Forza Horizon 6 also brings back the wristband career mode, which the series had moved away from in recent entries. The structure puts players in Japan as a tourist first, earning their place at the festival through progression rather than just dropping them in as a headliner from the start. It is a small thing, but it gives the open world more purpose.
The Japan setting also carries a specific business angle for Microsoft. Xbox has historically struggled to connect with Japanese audiences, and despite Horizon 6 being set there, only around 6% of Steam wishlists currently come from Japan. That is actually an improvement for the series, driven in part by Forza Horizon 5 launching on PS5 after nearly four years as an Xbox and PC exclusive. That PS5 version has already sold over 5 million copies. The multiplatform push is working, even if the Japan penetration numbers still have a long way to go.
What this means for Motorsport
Here is the thing: the success of Horizon makes the silence around Forza Motorsport even louder. The mainline track-racing series, last seen with 2023's Forza Motorsport from Turn 10 Studios, has gone quiet in a way that feels permanent rather than cyclical. A former developer claimed last year that the Motorsport series effectively died in Microsoft's studio cuts, with reports suggesting up to 50% of Turn 10's staff were let go.
Motorsport and Horizon were always different propositions. Motorsport was the serious one, the track-day simulator with laser-scanned circuits and tire temperature models. Horizon was the party. The problem is that the party kept getting better while the serious one struggled to find its footing after a troubled 2023 launch.
The result is a franchise where the spinoff has become the main event. Horizon 6 heading into launch with 500,000 pre-sales on a single platform, a Japan setting fans have wanted for over a decade, and projections pointing toward a record-breaking opening is not a spinoff story anymore. That is the series now.
For racing game fans who want to follow the build-up, check out the latest gaming news ahead of the May 19 launch date. If you want a deeper look at what Playground Games has built this time around, the latest reviews will be the place to watch once embargo lifts.
