Forza Horizon 6 Revealed (It Was Originally In Germany) + Optimism & Concern

(Originally Recorded Oct 5) 

Before you say anything, yes, we are tripling down that Forza Horizon 6 was originally based in Germany, or at least not in Japan. Hear us out, though.

On this episode, we spill the dirt on how we've been able to predict locations in the past, and also provide some very solid insight on what happened before the shift to Japan. As a teaser, we believe it would have happened around the time Mike Brown was fired (we have a very mean-spirited episode about that.

Because, again, you don't sit on the goldmine that is a new Horizon game for this long unless it's a mistake.

Regardless, we engage in some truly meaningful conversations and break down our thoughts, and being serious, how important a game this is for the entire series. It is effectively make-or-break, and the devs are clearly pulling out all the stops in what could be their last effort, if this does not go smoothly. Our overall sentiment is that, if this is not the best-selling racing game in Xbox's history (with a long-term player base that follows), it will absolutely be the end. Certainly, the sudden shift to Japan would signal it will do anything to appease players right now... because there is no other choice.

Our segments Complaint Corner and F*** That Car go as well as expected, and we also extend on the previous episodes post mortem regarding the super-dead Forza Motorsport. We share some additional concerns about what failures Horizon 6 may contain from Motorsport. Aren gives us a reminder about Forza's constant reusing of cars with the exact same polygon counts because they don't rescan cars from game to game. We finish that segment reminding everyone Motorsport could come back if this Horizon has unprecedented success.

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Transcript

Welcome back to the Forza World podcast.

It has been a long time since we recorded one of these, but we are back. We have a couple of older episodes that still are not edited, but we are ignoring those for now. What matters is that we are back, we have real Forza topics to discuss, and for once the content is actually relevant to the current moment.

There is a lot of Forza news to cover, plus a lot of life updates. It feels good to be doing an episode with relevant content instead of just complaining for hours, even though that can be fun too.

Right now we are also thinking about Motorsport and some racing-related things coming up, including Road Atlanta and the Rexy design. One of the liveries that came up in conversation was a skeleton livery on a 1991 car, which we both agreed was one of the best liveries we have seen in years.

As usual for this show, we are drinking beer while recording. One of us has a Miller Lite, the other has a Cowbell. We toast to a new Forza Horizon game finally arriving after five years.

Then we get into the main topic: Forza Horizon 6. It is still strange to say that out loud. There was a point last year when it felt uncertain whether there would even be another game. We knew one was in development, but the wait had become unusually long. For a franchise that used to release so regularly, the gap felt significant.

Back in the older release pattern, there was a two-year rotation between Motorsport and Horizon. Motorsport 3, Horizon 1, Motorsport 4, Motorsport 5, Horizon 2 — there was a rhythm to it. One year would be Motorsport, the next would be Horizon, and so on. The turnaround was strong. By contrast, the new Motorsport took seven or eight years to develop, and Horizon 6 will effectively arrive about five years after Horizon 5.

The plan for today is to go through Horizon 6, talk about the setting, discuss how we think the game is going to launch, and go through wish lists. We know we always do wish lists, but this time it matters because it is Horizon and the setting is Japan. That means it has to be done properly.

We are also going to cover the recurring segments: “Fuck That Car” and “Complaint Corner.” One of us will complain about a car, and the other will complain about whatever is currently irritating him. We are also going to talk about a possible new car purchase and about the current state of Forza Motorsport, which we think is effectively dead.

We do have another episode recorded that goes deeper into Motorsport as a postmortem, but we are shelving that for now. With Horizon coming out, there is more context to work through than we can fit into one show. So that is the structure for this episode.

Now to get serious: Forza Horizon 6 is a real thing, and at the time of recording it is supposedly coming in early 2026, though we are skeptical of that timing. What we do know is that it is set in Japan. Beyond that, we know very little. There is not much information on story, structure, or how the game will actually work.

One of the main admissions we make is that we were wrong about the location. We had been convinced it was going to be Germany. We were extremely confident it would not be Japan. That confidence came from several things: German-themed playlists, German-facing social media accounts, a lot of German and broader European automotive content in Horizon 5 updates, and a general pattern that pointed in that direction.

There was a long stretch where the Horizon 5 updates felt very German or European in focus. There were Porsches, track-day themes, and lots of German automotive content. The JDM emphasis only came later, in the last few updates. There was also a leak suggesting a kei truck had been scanned for the next Horizon game, but that came relatively late compared to all the Germany-related signals.

We also mention that we had heard from developers that Japan was not happening. They were adamant about that. Combined with the Spotify playlists and other behind-the-scenes indicators, Germany looked very likely. It felt less like a wild guess and more like a deduction based on patterns and information.

The theory we lay out is that something changed internally. Around two and a half years ago, a lot of senior people were fired or replaced. We think that is what changed the location or broader direction of Horizon 6. The core argument is simple: Microsoft does not wait five years to release one of its biggest cash cows unless something went wrong. You do not delay a game that long without a major disruption.

We compare this to what happened with the new Motorsport, which had to be restarted and rebuilt after development problems, staffing changes, and COVID disruption. We think something similar may have happened with Horizon 6. Maybe the original version was set in Germany and later reworked into Japan. That would explain both the long delay and the strange lifecycle of Horizon 5.

We then look at Horizon 5’s end-of-life content. The backstage pass usually signals the end of meaningful development. That is what happened with Horizon 4. But then Horizon 5 got Horizon Realms, allowing players to revisit old event spaces, plus a couple of new cars. After that, the game mostly shifted into a repeat cycle, with players voting on returning content. To us, that feels like a game being stretched while the next one is not ready.

The theory is that Horizon 6 may originally have been planned for an earlier release window, perhaps fall of the previous year, but then had to be delayed due to the change in direction. Horizon Realms may have been part of the original end-of-life strategy, later extended even further while the new game was reworked.

From there, we move to a broader concern: Japan may not actually be a good sign. We know fans have wanted Japan for years, but we argue that this may be less a sign of confidence and more a sign of desperation. If the franchise is in trouble after Motorsport flopped, and if Horizon is now the critical title that has to save the brand, then choosing Japan might be the last-ditch move to excite the fanbase.

Our concern is that the location could mask deeper problems. Japan sounds good on paper and generates hype, but it does not guarantee a good game. We worry that the content, structure, and playability could still be more of the same. The whole rollout feels sloppy and desperate, not carefully executed.

We say openly that if Horizon 6 flops the way Motorsport did, that could be the end of Forza as it currently exists. It may be sold off or gutted. We hope we are wrong. We want the game to succeed, but we do not have much confidence.

One of the specific technical concerns mentioned is the way the developers talked about roads. They said they used technology from the Hot Wheels expansion in Horizon 5 to create layered road systems in the city, meaning roads running above other roads like overpasses. Our reaction is disbelief. Multi-level road design is not new. Other games have done that for years. The fact that this is being presented as a breakthrough feels like Forza is behind the industry, not ahead of it.

That becomes a larger metaphor for the franchise. The comparison made is that Forza is acting like it just discovered things other games have had for ages. It is like celebrating microwaves or wireless earbuds as if they are revolutionary. That makes us nervous about what Horizon 6 is actually going to deliver.

Trying to shift into something constructive, we go into our Horizon 6 wish list.

The first major pillar is story mode. We agree completely that Horizon needs a strong story and progression system. Checking boxes, clearing icons, and mindless completion are not enough. The game needs an emotional hook and a real reason to keep playing.

The second pillar is a smaller, better car list. Instead of 900 cars, we would rather have around 150 carefully chosen cars. We want a strong selection across key categories like hot hatches, supercars, and classics. More importantly, the best cars should not be available immediately. They should be unlocked through progression. If there is an ultimate game-breaking car, it should only be earned by beating the game, not bought instantly or won through an auction.

The third pillar is less emphasis on graphics and accessibility marketing. The argument is that modern games already look good enough, and graphical fidelity is largely dependent on hardware. We do not care about marketing copy that obsesses over sun rays and reflections. We just want a solid, playable game. There is also frustration with the way accessibility is presented as a selling point or award strategy rather than something integrated naturally.

The fourth pillar is better media capture tools. Photo mode is usable but outdated, and video capture is terrible. We want better tools for creators and ordinary players to record footage, use drone cameras, and make clips without relying on awkward system-level recording methods. That would help the community and help the game market itself through user-created content.

A related half-pillar is direct gifting of cars. In older Forza games, players could send cars directly to friends. We want that feature back. The current random gift-drop system is frustrating and impersonal. We understand the argument that unrestricted gifting can be abused, but we do not think that matters much. The bigger issue is leaderboard cheating and outright modding, not whether friends can share cars. We also argue that certain game-breaking or special “unicorn” cars could simply be made non-giftable.

That leads into some criticism of Horizon’s characters and presentation. One oddity is that Horizon still uses British voices and personalities even when the setting is Mexico. That never made much sense. The only side character that actually stands out positively is Scott Tyler, and even then he barely appears.

After that, we move into Complaint Corner.

The complaint this time is recycling. The argument is that consumer recycling is pointless, performative, and mostly ineffective. Much of what gets recycled is incinerated or discarded anyway, and major corporations shift the blame for pollution onto consumers instead of taking responsibility themselves. The rant extends to paper straws, sorting waste in public, and the general sense that the burden is placed on individuals while the real problems come from manufacturers and industry. The only form of recycling still endorsed is recycling car parts and used oil, especially when there is a financial return or store credit involved.

From there, we transition into Forza Motorsport.

The central claim is that Motorsport is dead. We reference reports that approximately 98 percent of the workforce tied to it has been let go, leaving only enough staff to support the existing game. We think this means there is effectively no meaningful future development happening. Whatever additions still appear are likely content already in the pipeline, recycled assets, or externally contracted work.

We describe the new Motorsport as a game that was cancelled, restarted, and then rushed out incomplete. It failed badly, and now the franchise has likely decided to put all available energy into Horizon instead. From a business perspective, that makes sense, but it also suggests Motorsport as a series may be finished unless Horizon 6 massively succeeds.

We argue that serious players have largely moved to iRacing and other sims, while casual players no longer see Motorsport as the accessible track-racing option it once was. Forza used to be strong because it made recognizable tracks and approachable car handling available on console. But now other games do that better, and Motorsport’s obsession with graphics and ray tracing did not pay off.

We compare the situation to Motorsport 5 and Motorsport 6. Motorsport 5 was rushed and incomplete, but Turn 10 recognized that and followed it with Motorsport 6, which felt like the game Motorsport 5 should have been. Motorsport 6 has aged well and is still one of our favorites. By contrast, the new Motorsport does not seem to have that recovery path ahead of it.

We also revisit the old point that Fujimi Kaido was known internally long before it was announced, which reinforces the belief that much of what is still coming to Motorsport was prepared long ago. Any current updates are probably just delayed leftovers.

Another major criticism is the reuse of assets. Cars in Horizon 5 and Motorsport often appear to be direct copy-paste jobs with no meaningful rescanning or remodelling. Even newer vehicles show poor detail in ForzaVista. Polygon counts and visible low-detail areas suggest that Turn 10 is not doing the level of work it claims to be doing. There is particular frustration that the studio publicly celebrated rescanning a few cars as if that were an extraordinary achievement, when it should have been standard practice from the beginning.

The conclusion on Motorsport is blunt: it is dead, and its future depends entirely on Horizon 6. But not just a decent Horizon 6. It would need to be a major hit with strong reception, strong player retention, and sustained DLC revenue. It would need to feel like Horizon 1 or Horizon 2 in terms of excitement and impact, while also keeping players engaged long-term.

We also criticize the way Horizon 5 was marketed and measured. Player-count announcements were inflated by Game Pass access and did not prove long-term engagement. Launch-day numbers are not enough. Horizon 6 needs both hype and staying power.

This leads into a disagreement over the recent Horizon 6 teaser trailer. One side thinks the references to earlier Horizon games were cool. The other side hates it, arguing that the best teaser the franchise ever did was the Horizon 2 teaser with the Lamborghini Huracán climbing the hill. That trailer showed a real car and real environment and built real excitement. By contrast, the Horizon 6 teaser focused too much on people, atmosphere, and nostalgia rather than showing the actual game. The fear is that, like the Motorsport trailers, it is hiding the real state of the product.

After closing the Motorsport discussion, we move to the “Fuck That Car” segment.

The chosen target is the new Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R. The reason is simple: they no longer offer a manual transmission. For a hot hatch, that is seen as destroying half the point of the car. These were practical cars that were supposed to be enjoyable to drive. Replacing the manual with only a DSG automatic is viewed as a betrayal of what those cars are meant to be.

There is additional criticism of the tiny electronic-style selector replacing a proper gear lever. It is compared to a cheap pull tab or an electric parking brake switch. The previous generation had a manual, but also had bad haptic steering-wheel controls. Volkswagen fixed the buttons but killed the manual, which is seen as the wrong tradeoff.

If someone wants a manual now, they have to get a GLI, but the new GLI is criticized for looking bad. The broader frustration is that manufacturers, like Forza, are responding to the wrong market pressures and stripping emotion and character out of things people actually care about.

Near the end of the episode, we cover some personal updates.

One host has moved to Austin, Texas, about twenty minutes from Circuit of the Americas. He recently attended the FIA WEC Lone Star Le Mans six-hour race there. It rained that day, but the race was excellent. The battle for the lead between the Ferrari 499P and the Porsche was especially memorable, and the sound of the Aston Martin V12 and the overall experience at COTA were highlights.

The recommendation is that anyone who can should attend a local race in person. Even going alone can be a great experience because it lets you focus entirely on the strategy, atmosphere, and sounds of the event without distraction.

We also mention CTMP and another partially recorded episode tied to that race weekend, again encouraging people to get out to live motorsport events whenever possible.

The other personal update is a new car purchase. The car signed for is a 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio in Montecarlo Blue with ceramic brakes and touring seats. It has only about 8,000 miles, which is exceptionally low for a six-year-old car.

That leads into a comparison with the other host’s Porsche Taycan. The Giulia QV makes about 505 horsepower, the Taycan about 507, and both do 0–60 in about 3.8 seconds. Both are rear-wheel-drive-based, similarly sized performance cars, which makes the matchup feel like an old Top Gear comparison. It should be fun to see them side by side.

The episode closes with the sense that these are interesting times to be a Forza fan, though not necessarily good times yet. There is a lot to discuss, plenty more episodes to record, and plenty more beer to drink while doing it.

This has been the return episode of the Forza World podcast.

Usefulness verdict: useful