Forza Horizon 6The Japanese setting is strangely late for the franchise. A dream location for gearheads and fans of the Horizon series since at least the early 2000s, its rich automotive culture and history begs to be explored in-game at the highest possible speed. But Forza Horizon 6 will land in Japan for a number of reasons, especially considering what lies beneath the hood of Xbox's decade-long dance with Japan.
Forza fans have been wanting this setting to happen for years, and it's something that Playground Games' own art director Don Arceta acknowledged at length, stating that the choice of the Japanese setting was (at least in part) influenced by it being “on top”. Horizon fan wish lists.” The developers even justified the timing and technical readiness to pull it off, noting that previous titles and expansions like Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels helped them develop their ability to create an environment like an electrified Tokyo. That's the thing, fans Forza they're not the only ones in this equation who want to rule Japan's roads, and the other side would have a lot more say in the matter – if they got involved.
Choice of Japanese setting in Xbox Game Studios Forza Horizon 6 fits in very nicely with something that Xbox management has been emphasizing and struggling with for over a decade: Xbox's Japanese market share matters.
Setting up Forza Horizon 6 is an Xbox strategy
This factor, Xbox's continued emphasis on Japan, was understated to consumers through most industry interviews. However, Xbox management has repeatedly expressed this. At the end of the Xbox One era, Phil Spencer even told the Japanese media that although the Xbox was not the biggest seller there, he saw the country as a very important market and promised that “Japan will never give up”.
Xbox was already deep in the trenches of the Japanese market, struggling to find its footing in the overseas console space. The sales numbers of Microsoft's previous two consoles were notoriously weak in Japan compared to the competition, and the Xbox One's poor Japanese sales ended up being more of the same, failing to make a significant impact and selling only a fraction of the units compared to local rivals Sony and Nintendo. The thing is, while today's Xbox has seemingly pulled out of the console race, it's not slowing down in its attempt to build bridges in Japan.
It's a new strategy for an old ambition
Much has changed about Xbox's modern image as a company, but its overseas ambitions are not one of those changes. First, as Xbox has focused on gaming over gaming systems over the past half-decade, it has also doubled down on partnerships with major Japanese publishers like Sega, Capcom, and Square Enix. While this is partly due to the external idea that these companies need a platform like Xbox to expand globally, it's really a heart-for-an-eye situation in context.
Through these partnerships, Xbox gains the ability to integrate the same Japanese creative power it has historically lacked into its gaming ecosystem. Even without a console, this benefits Xbox's business, as the definition of the gaming ecosystem has expanded to include cloud gaming, services like Xbox Game Pass, and handhelds like the ROG Ally. Instead of competing with Xbox console sales, these alternatives work just as well (if not better) for Xbox and maintain economic standing in the overseas market.
Forza Horizon 6 is the exact tool for the same task
Xbox decided to focus on these developing partnerships Forza Horizon 6 at Tokyo Game Show 2025 makes a lot more sense. Xbox is using one of its flagships to express how it wants to be perceived in Japan, not just as a foreign console maker, but as a company with respect for Japanese cultural and aesthetic values that can resonate with Japanese gamers and creators. That fits with broader internal messaging that the Asia region, including Japan, is among Xbox's fastest-growing markets, at least according to executives discussing presence and expansion in the region.
Planning and planning are two different things
It is worth emphasizing that there is nothing malicious about these decisions. Japan is a massive global hub of gaming creativity and influence, and Xbox has been vocal about wanting to tap into that space for years. As a major release Forza Horizon 6if he borrows thoughtfully from Japan's rich culture, he would be the perfect vehicle to show it off.
It already looks like Playground Games has nailed it, using Japan's unique car culture as a massive narrative engine to draw from. Again, it goes without saying: Kei cars and drifting culture give a racing game material that feels alive in a way that few other environments can. And that's before you delve into the aesthetics of the environments, possible mountain passes, temples, cherry blossoms and city street scenes. The Forza The development team's extensive research trip to Japan and the inclusion of a cultural consultant underscore that this is intended to be more than a generic attempt at a “video game, but Japan”.
Xbox can have its cake and eat it too
The reality is that pooling reveals Forza Horizon 6The Japanese setting with Xbox's broader message of growth in Asia and its renewed partnerships with Japanese studios frame this choice as both a fan choice and a market growth strategy. This ulterior motive isn't some hidden, nefarious conspiracy, and there's no evidence that Xbox wants to celebrate the culture its players and developers admire as anything other than serious. But to ignore the fact that this alignment also serves business purposes would be naive; For years, Xbox has clearly declared its intentions to bring its business to Japan with both heart and hard strategy. Why believe the opposite when you can Forza Horizon 6?
This decision will ultimately enrich the game. It's an exciting leap for the franchise, a setting that fans have long dreamed of, and one that could truly stand as one of the best Forza Horizon world space yet. When Forza Horizon 6 comes out in May, and the player speedometer has exceeded all expectations, hopefully reflecting another Xbox corporate sentiment in full and true: “When everyone plays, we all win.”
