Forza Horizon 6: New Gameplay, Japan Map, Customizable Garages & Estate

Forza Horizon 6 is officially launching in May, and fans of Forza Horizon series won't want to miss it, as FH6 adds even more new and fun activities and gameplay compared to FH5.

This time, the map is set in Japan, and on April 8th, the official summer version of Japanese map was revealed - the most densely packed and vertically oriented map in the series'history. The map includes a miniature version of central Tokyo, surrounding rural areas, Japanese Alps, and diverse terrains along the coastal highway.

The official statement indicates that Forza Horizon 6 significantly enhances customization and freedom, aiming to provide players with a completely new way to shape and decorate their own worlds.

This means you can build your own manor and design your own garage in the game - a truly personalized world. Without further ado, let's see what surprises Forza Horizon 6 has in store for both new and veteran players.

New Identity

In Forza Horizon 6, you're no longer a washed-up champion helping organize the festival, but a tourist visiting Japan. You start with only three cars: a 1989 Nissan Silvia, a 94 Toyota Celica, and a 70 GMC Jimmy.

You need to complete three qualifying races - a road race, a trail race, and a cross-country event - to officially enter Horizon Festival. Afterward, you gradually unlock higher-performance races through Wristbands Tiers, eventually reaching the forbidden map, Legend Island.

New Mechanics

Forza Horizon 6 introduces Fog of War mechanic for the first time - all events, collectibles, and locations on the map only become visible after you've actually driven through them.

Design Director Torbern Ellert explained on Xbox: “This game sets a rule for all ‘exploring Japan' content - you can only play it if you find it.” Ultimately, the developers want to convey that freedom is at the core of the series; the game won't force players or make decisions for them.

Time Trials and Drag Races

Time trials simply require you to continuously improve your lap times on a specific track. Drag races, on the other hand, are designed for those seeking ultimate speed, eliminating the hassle of steering and cornering.

Both types of races share a common advantage: they allow you to choose opponents from a larger pool of players and your friends list, providing an asymmetrical multiplayer experience - the track will be filled with other players' ghost cars, and the billboards displaying best times will constantly motivate you to surpass their records.

Customized Cars

While traveling the world, you'll occasionally encounter limited-time offers, allowing you to acquire new cars at below-market prices, such as spotting a Black Dodge SRT Demon on the roadside. If you have enough Forza Horizon 6 Credits, don't hesitate.

To address one of the most requested features from players since Forza series' release, Forza Horizon 6 also developed Window Stickers, allowing you to decorate your car with any designs on the windows and glass.

The front spoiler, rear wing, and side skirts all support detailed customization-endplates, wing surfaces, and supports can be independently painted and use different materials, greatly enhancing the freedom of personal expression.

Furthermore, Forza Horizon 6 allows for the use of motorcycle engines for the first time, although currently limited to Japanese kei cars, this is a very innovative advancement.

Autopilot

An autopilot system in a racing game might seem puzzling, but imagine this: you choose a map you like, click autopilot, and your AI assistant Anna drives the vehicle around the map for you.

All you have to do is switch to cinematic view, relax, and slowly enjoy the stunning scenery on the screen. Doesn't that make autopilot seem more meaningful?

Customizable Garages and Estate

Forza Horizon 6 expands the functionality of player houses like never before. Each house comes with customizable garages. You can freely decorate the space with various items, and you'll get a full refund when you remove items.

Garages can display up to four cars, allowing you to position and style your character. In Forzavista mode, you can view and take photos. You can also visit other players' Garages, admire their designs, and even download garage layouts from the internet to use directly.

A drone camera can freely move through your own or others' Garages, giving you a comprehensive view of the design details and showing Garages owner's character standing in a selected location.

Furthermore, the new Estate is a vast territory surrounded by mountains and cliffs. Using the upgraded EventLab tools, you can create any scene you imagine, such as cities, forests, or festivals. This permanent space is entirely yours to decorate as you like and invite friends to visit. Like the garage, you can also download and view layouts of Estates shared by other players.

EventLab Upgrade

To better enable players to customize their Garages and Estates, FH6 has improved and updated EventLab. EventLab is a game toolset in Forza Horizon series that allows you to create custom experiences, races, challenges, stunts, and more.

The improvements include the ability to add stamps to objects while building in EventLab, allowing for quick and repeated placement of the same object; testing creations without affecting event routes using the free-drive option; and undo and redo functions for easy adjustments by single-player builders.

Now you can start building anywhere in the world, creating custom spaces with just a few clicks. The route creator also supports moving the starting grid, even allowing you to create aerial worlds and then move the starting line into them to design routes.

Upon entering EventLab, the game automatically generates 12 grid locations (if there is enough space). If you create an event on a road, the grid will automatically be arranged in the classic format, which you can then freely edit to create drag-and-drop arrangements, sparse layouts, or circular starting formations.

Precision mode returns, allowing you to slow down for precise positioning; you can also enable a surround view in the menu. The challenge system is integrated with Super7, with all challenges stored in a dedicated category within EventLab, and can be created and played anywhere in Japan.

Most importantly, EventLab introduces multiplayer building support for the first time - called Horizon CoLab. Whether you're collaborating with friends to build events or explore areas, or simply creating fun for friends by building ramps and destructible structures in the open world, it's all possible.

One thing to note is that customizable Garages and Estates are still limited to single-player building.

Overall, Forza Horizon 6 not only inherits and develops the spirit of previous series tournaments but also creates a more free gaming environment for players, satisfying their expectations for creation and development in various ways, rather than being limited to just competition.

Because of this essence, even before its release, many players are already full of anticipation. Hopefully, this update guide will help you understand and prepare for Forza Horizon 6.