Forza Horizon 6, the latest entry in Microsoft's Forza Horizon racing series, has launched today on Xbox and PC, a few days ahead of its May 19, 2026, launch via Early Access for players who purchased the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade.

In just half a day after it rolled out on early access, the game is already striking a chord with the gaming industry as critics lavish it with praise, and fans are flocking to it in droves on Steam.

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That number is more than double Forza Horizon 5's peak concurrent player count of 81,096, 4 years ago. If this is just Forza Horizon 6's Steam players, we can only imagine how many players are currently playing it on Xbox and Windows via the Microsoft Store.

And that's without even beginning to imagine how many players it will gain once Forza Horizon 6 fully releases to the general public on May 19, 2026. Either way, the game is highly likely to be one of 2026's biggest hits based on these early numbers.

I know my colleague, Michael Hoglund, is convinced that it's going to be a 2026 game of the year contender, as he gave Forza Horizon 6 a near-perfect score of 4.5/5 stars.

He proclaimed that "if you love racing and want an open-world experience that’s equal parts heart and horsepower, Forza Horizon 6 is a no-brainer. It’s the top dog for a reason, and this chapter just cements it."

So, if you want to get in the latest entry of Forza Horizon and see why it's getting so much early praise, Forza Horizon 6 is available to pre-order for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam.

Plus, ordering the Premium Upgrade or Premium Edition will net you 3 days of early access ahead of the game's full launch on Xbox Series, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.

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Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran with over 35 years of experience who primarily covers Xbox and PC gaming news and spotlights discounts on the best laptops, peripherals, and other electronics. He's also a diehard fan of JRPGs, action games, beat em’ ups, and Capcom’s Monster Hunter series