IGN has launched its month-long exclusive coverage of Forza Horizon 6 with nine minutes of uncut gameplay footage, providing the first look at Playground Games’ Japan-set open-world racer. The footage is accompanied by a developer discussion featuring IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey and Luke Reilly, who visited Playground Games for hands-on access and interviews.
The gameplay showcases a leisurely cruise from the southern portion of the map, through various biomes, into and around the outskirts of Tokyo, then north toward the mountains, before ending at one of the game’s permanent race circuits.
It is, by design, a slow-paced tour of the world rather than a showcase of racing or event gameplay, and that creative decision has sparked some mixed reactions from the community.
What’s New
While much of the footage reinforces what we already knew about the map’s scale and variety, the IGN coverage does surface a handful of new details.
IGN confirmed that Forza Edition cars (special variants with unique bonuses) are returning and have been “significantly improved” compared to previous entries, though no further details were provided. Additionally, upcoming IGN coverage throughout March will include deep dives into the world and biomes, customization improvements (including the previously announced window decals and updated Forza Aero), new event types, and the approach to Forza Edition vehicles.
It’s worth noting that the footage was captured in a Saleen S7 rather than the GR GT cover car. As Reilly explained, every car and screenshot that appears in pre-release materials for a licensed racing game has to be cleared and signed off by the manufacturer, and the GR GT apparently hasn’t been approved for this type of gameplay capture yet.
Community Observations
Eagle-eyed fans watching the footage have picked out a number of environmental details that paint a promising picture of the game’s world-building. The Rainbow Bridge, an iconic Tokyo landmark familiar to fans of Tokyo Xtreme Racer and the Shutoko Revival Project mod, is visible in the Tokyo skyline.
Multiple gas stations appear along the roads, which are actually a surprisingly rare sight in Horizon games. There are also what appear to be convenience stores with in-universe branding and raised parking areas along the highway that could potentially serve as car meet locations alongside the already-confirmed Daikoku spot.
On the car detail front, the Saleen S7 is seen producing exhaust smoke, an effect previously spotted only on the GR GT cover car during the Developer Direct. Seeing it on a second vehicle suggests it may be a wider system rather than a one-off detail for the hero car.
The footage also reveals that the game’s map contains 662 roads to discover, roughly 80 more than Forza Horizon 5’s 578. Notably, despite nearly nine minutes of driving, only a small handful of roads were discovered during the video, suggesting the increase isn’t the result of artificially subdividing highways.
The appearance of the Irabu Ohashi Bridge, which in real life connects islands nearly a thousand miles south of Tokyo, serves as a reminder that FH6 is still very much a “greatest hits” interpretation of Japan rather than a geographically faithful recreation.
Finally, the video ends with the car pulling up to what appears to be a time attack circuit that hasn’t been seen before, distinct from the Ebisu-inspired track shown earlier. Multiple permanent circuits embedded in the open world would be a welcome addition for players who’ve long wanted more structured track driving within Horizon’s sandbox.
The Reaction
The community response to the footage has been somewhat mixed — not because of what it reveals about the game itself, but because of how it was presented. The most immediate point of contention was the apparent lack of traffic, which made Tokyo in particular look eerily empty.
IGN’s McCaffrey quickly addressed this on social media, confirming that traffic was intentionally dialed down for the video to let viewers focus on the environment. Playground’s Torbin also confirmed the same in the game’s community Discord.
Beyond the traffic issue, the video drew criticism for appearing to run at 30 frames per second with heavy motion blur, which combined with YouTube compression didn’t exactly flatter a game that has looked impressive in previous showings.
The deliberately slow driving pace also didn’t help matters, with many questioning why nearly ten minutes of exclusive footage contained no races, no events, and no real demonstration of what makes Forza Horizon 6 different from its predecessors.
The broader concern threading through community discussions is a familiar one: that the series risks feeling iterative. Some long-time fans who felt FH5 was too similar to FH4 were hoping this first extended gameplay look would dispel those worries, and a nine-minute cruise through empty streets wasn’t quite the reassurance they were looking for.
That said, it’s worth noting this is the opening salvo of a month-long media campaign, not the final word on the game. Playground has already detailed a significantly reworked career structure, and IGN has confirmed that coverage of racing, events, and customization is all still to come. For a video explicitly designed to showcase the world itself, the environmental detail and map scale on display were genuinely impressive — it just needed a bit more context than it was given.
What’s Coming Next
IGN’s coverage will continue throughout March, with next week’s installment focused on the map, biomes, and the open world experience in greater detail. Later in the month, expect coverage of customization improvements, Forza Edition cars, and new event types.
Forza Horizon 6 launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19, with Premium Edition early access beginning May 15. The PS5 version will follow later in the year.
