Why is Forza Horizon 6 so popular?

Forza Horizon 6 is already setting numbers despite early access gating

Forza Horizon 6 is drawing unusually strong attention while still rolling out in stages. Multiple reports in the feed point to high early engagement on PC—especially on Steam—even though the game is not fully widely available yet.

The clearest signal is that the game has reached standout peak concurrency figures before its standard edition launch. One report describes Forza Horizon 6 hitting a higher peak player count than Forza Horizon 5, even though it’s “not even out yet.” Another notes that Forza Horizon 6 has already crushed the franchise’s all-time Steam record with around 130,000 concurrent players, and that this figure is specifically tied to the portion of players willing to pay for the early access tier.

What’s driving the surge

The feed also links the popularity to Horizon 6’s Japan setting and its spectacle-heavy design choices:

• Players get to explore a stylized version of Japan and engage with Japan-themed events and environments.
• The game’s live “Mech My Day” showcase features a Gundam-like mech race, which helps generate conversation and social sharing.
• Playground Games is also leaning into Nintendo-adjacent “iconic culture” details, such as keeping cherry blossoms indestructible.

Why it matters

When a racing game with gated access still performs that strongly on Steam, it typically indicates two things: (1) the base game has broad mainstream appeal, and (2) the early-access premium is not suppressing demand. It also creates a benchmark for the rest of the racing category heading into the wider release window.

If these concurrency figures hold as more editions unlock, Forza Horizon 6 is likely to remain one of the most watched open-world launches of the year.