On Saturday, Microsoft surprised Xbox fans with a brief but visually impressive in-engine trailer for Forza Horizon 6 that showcased the game's various biomes. The footage demonstrated the excellent level of detail provided by the latest iteration of the ForzaTech proprietary engine technology, while also offering a glimpse of the variety of environments players will be able to explore from the cockpit of their cars once the game ships in less than three months. We can see beaches, small villages, forests, the countryside, and snowy, mountainous regions, among others. Originally announced at Tokyo Game Show 2025, Forza Horizon 6 is […]
Developer Playground Games is truly listening to fans to make Forza Horizon 6 a great experience. In previous games, notably Forza Horizon 4 and 5, cheating your way to the top was a fairly easy thing to do. The leaderboards in both of those games are full of some very questionable times and records, even for trivial stuff like danger signs. To fix, Forza Horizon 6 will implement day one anti-cheat measures, according to the Forza Horizon 6 UK account (confirmed by some developers on Discord).
CHEATS NEVER PREVAIL!
Forza Horizon 6 will have day 1 anti-cheat measures to keep the leaderboards clean!
New exploit detection system Open-world leaderboards reset weekly All unrealistic scores removed from day 1
The developers are going aggressive with the anti-cheat measures, and you can’t blame them for it. To ensure that Forza Horizon 6 is fun and fair for everyone involved, there will be a new rigorous exploit detection system in place. All the open-world leaderboards will reset weekly, and any unrealistic scores on the leaderboards will be removed whenever flagged by the system.
You may be thinking, why would anyone even want to cheat in ForzaHorizon in the first place? After all, it’s mostly a game about unlocking more cars and exploring the open world. Unfortunately, some people just can’t be helped, as it’s easy fun for them to jump to the top of the leaderboards.
However, it’s worth noting that while these anti-cheat measures are nice, there’s no official word on whether this will stop modded accounts with unrealistic CR, cars, and max levels. There’s a lot of flexibility on PC, and unfortunately, some of it comes in the form of mods that make the game unfair to other players.
It’s also worth noting that this means that Linux support will likely be limited. This obviously also extends to the Steam Deck. Again, no official word on this yet, but robust anti-cheat measures, such as the ones FH6 is incorporating, usually hurt Linux support.
Forza Horizon 6 releases on May 19, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S and on PC via Steam. If you are planning to pre-order it’s worth familiarizing yourself with all of the different editions of the game. Even if you’re planning to play through Xbox Game Pass, it doesn’t hurt to know what the Deluxe or Premium upgrades bring to the table.
When you play Forza Horizon 5, it’s not just a racing game. You experience a sun-drenched Mexico where you can endlessly explore, while every mile is celebrating car culture. For me, the game is perfect because I have spent countless hours obsessively building my dream garage in Forza Horizon 4. However, the game is not a rehash of familiar roads. There is a special electric feeling that keeps you wanting more.
The Thrill of the Open Road (and Even Off It)
Of course, Forza Horizon 5 is primarily about racing, but the main focus of the game is exploration. The map has humid jungles, arid deserts, sleepy villages, and wild coasts, and every inch of this virtual Mexico is begging you to drive. If you are like me, you will take every opportunity to drive off-road. In the past Horizon titles, when the standard was to buy cheap PS4 games, it always felt that the fastest way to earn points was to stick to the main roads. Here? Not even close. Smash a patch of cacti, throw your car into a riverbed, and charge down a mountain. The more reckless, the better. There is something amazing about skidding to a stop in a dusty cloud, yanking a barn door open, and finding an old car that is just waiting to be restored.
The Pulse of Mexico’s Roads.
There’s something deeply intoxicating about cruising down a sun-drenched highway, the horizon shimmering with the promise of the unknown. Whether you’re drifting through a dense jungle, tearing through arid desert plains, or weaving through cobblestone streets of colorful villages, the world feels alive and personal. It’s not just a map—it’s an experience.
The team at Playground Games has designed a Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 that is not only personalized but also vast; a Mexico that has postcard views and a Mexico that has little treasures begging you to stop and appreciate. Every little detail is accounted for, like when you speed through a tropical storm and sunlight reflects off your car and paint, and you appreciate the sunlight. They are extremely chaotic but comforting; a good reminder that natural machines are just as important as the storms and the other machines you are controlling.
A Collector's Dream
Having stored numerous cars and having built a dream car garage in Forza Horizon 4, I Forza Horizon 5 fulfilled my needs in ways I didn't know I needed. I could spend hours in Forza Horizon Vista in the car observation mode just to check the car and interior details. The detailing down to the aggressive lines of the Lambo Huracan and the rich and shiny leather of the Jaguar E-Type is impressive. Some players who buy PS5 racing games enjoy making shifts to their customization settings. Customization is incredibly satisfying. There is nothing quite like the feeling of tuning the handling of a Ford GT to match your every nerve and command.
While the interaction with the simulated car is satisfying, it also experiences the most refined and improved car interaction. The driving experience has improved with a greater connection to the road and the vehicle being driven. There is a single spot for every driving experience that can be achieved by a driver, whether the driver is a casual driver or more serious.
The new Horizon Arcade mode replaces the structured Forzathon Live events and offers a more organic and untamed multiplayer experience. It’s not flawless—some events in Forza Horizon 4 are more memorable—but the variety is enough to keep things interesting. There are plenty of high-speed sprints to salt flats and plenty of designed technical tracks to urban centers of the country.
The Essence of Mexico
However, the finest thing about Forza Horizon 5 is the Mexican culture it represents. Most certainly, the main story missions, even when they are somewhat cheesy to partake in, narrate deeper stories about the culture. One of the more memorable moments involved a barn find of a venerable Volkswagen Beetle, forked in a race, that the finder restored to its former glory. There was personal history in the story beyond the car, and plenty of rich culture and people.
Cars, Cars, and More Cars
Each car has a personality, like a McLaren 720S that begs to be driven at top speed, or a Baja Bug that is unstoppable in the dunes. Customization is unbelievable. I have spent—actual hours—doing liveries, tweaking suspension, and adjusting power-to-weight ratio. While the design tools are complex, the designers made them user-friendly to the point where they can save you from getting frustrated. My favorite moment? Creating a custom paint job for a classic Mustang and then watching it shine while I jumped off a ramp going 120 mph.
The Auction House
Collecting cars is not as simple as racing through the campaign. You can collect the rare cars, but it will take some work. You can enter the auctions where people are able to sell the cars they no longer want. While this isn’t new to the series, it has a better flow here. You can have the thrill of sniping a rare car at the last moment, then flipping the car for a profit.
Word of advice: Most players who buy PS5 games already have mission-earned cars, so their value drops quickly. If making money is your goal, go after cars that are rare and in demand. You shouldn’t miss the thrill of a great deal either. Like the adrenaline rush I get from racing, finding a great deal, like a Porsche 959 in great condition for a small percentage of the real price, is a racing thrill unlike any other.
A Couple of Bumps in the Road
While the Forza Horizon series is spectacular, this one definitely has flaws. The Horizon Challenges can feel somewhat monotonous, and while the game provides you with what seems like an excessive amount of events to pick from, I found myself wishing for a little more organized flow. There are only so many times one can sprint from point A to point B and not feel bored.
While connecting with your pals is simple, it can feel painstaking when a whole party is trying to compete in coop races and their game progress doesn’t match up. However, the feeling of unity when you and your buddies are driving all over and conquering the land definitely redeems it.
Conclusion
There is no need to reinvent the wheel on Forza Horizon 5, and it simply doesn’t need to. If you have even a casual interest in racing or cars, the open-world gameplay, authentic car culture, and attention to detail in craftsmanship will make it a game you simply have to experience. Playing Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 is amazing. The light and chrome of the supercars and the dust of the off-road trucks are in sync with the changing weather. I find myself stopping mid-race to take in the stunning scenery, be it the neon festival or the waterfall.
Yesterday, we published part one of our interview with former Xbox 360 boss Peter Moore, where he talked about the creation of Microsoft's beloved machine, the grand idea encompassing it, and how his team had to break from the stuffy office-worker image Microsoft had. "Guys with pocket protectors and thick glasses", as he described it. He also talked about "throwing punches" to provoke the Xbox vs. PlayStation console war.
