Forza Horizon 6 is the next, long-awaited installment in the arcade racing franchise. The previous game, Forza Horizon 5, was released in late 2021, putting the time between the fifth and sixth titles close to four years apart in all likelihood. Before Forza Horizon 5 launched, the franchise never went more than three years between releases, so this is uncharted territory for Horizon fans.

To make matters worse, we hardly have solid confirmation that Forza Horizon 6 even exists, let alone a release window. While Microsoft and developer Playground Games have been tight-lipped about the sixth installment, that course of action is likely about to change thanks to some key events happening in 2025.

Forza Horizon 6 Announcement Speculation

As we don’t have official confirmation on any sort of timeline for Forza Horizon 6, everything I say going forward should be taken with a light grain of salt. However, what I can say is that it’s almost certain the game will be announced soon and a release date should be coming at the same time or shortly thereafter.

Let’s start with a general announcement for Forza Horizon 6. So far, Microsoft hasn’t even released a teaser image to hold fans over. Some fans thought an announcement could come at the recent Xbox Game Direct that happened on January 23, but the event had a noticeable lack of shiny cars and high-flying racing montages. So with Horizon 6 not being announced at that event, when’s the next time we could conceivably see an announcement?

The most likely time for an announcement regarding Forza Motorsport 6 is at the Summer Game Fest event, which is returning in June 2025. The live event in Los Angeles is a part of Geoff Keighley’s lineup of gaming showcases that occur at different parts of the year. Summer Game Fest is the first one on the docket in 2025 and should be where Forza Horizon 6 is officially unveiled.

Whether we see a large presentation from Playground Games or just a teaser trailer for the game is unclear. Microsoft could also choose to officially announce Horizon 6 before Summer Game Fest in June but still showcase the game at the event in some capacity.

When Is the Release Date For Forza Horizon 6?

As for a Forza Horizon 6 release date, it’s likely to arrive sometime in 2025. When exactly during the year is unknown, but Microsoft will want to keep its options open regarding the release date for one, huge reason: Grand Theft Auto 6.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Presents A Huge Problem

Barring a delay, the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 is supposedly set to release in the fall of 2025, and no publisher or developer wants to launch a game near that window. The next installment of the famed GTA franchise will presumably smash sales and player count records across PlayStation and Xbox whenever it’s released.

With that in mind, Microsoft likely has an idea of when GTA 6 is slated to come out. So you can bet every dollar you have that the company will take measures to ensure Forza Horizon 6 — or any other major Xbox game — does not launch around the same time. This makes perfect fiscal sense, as any game’s sales would take a huge hit if it launches too close to the behemoth that is GTA 6. And we all know how much Microsoft values its bottom line.

Potential Release Windows For Forza Horizon 6

Of course, GTA 6 could very well be delayed into 2026, which would open up a fall release window for Forza Horizon 6 to slide into. If GTA 6 ends up releasing in the fall of 2025, though, there’s a scenario where Horizon 6 doesn’t arrive until early 2026.

On the other hand, the new arcade racing game could be farther along than we think. Playground Games could have Horizon 6 ready to go shortly after the theorized announcement/showcase at Summer Game Fest, meaning the game might hit the market in summer 2025.

Essentially, the release date for Forza Horizon 6 is going to depend on GTA 6 unless it’s ready by the summer. Anytime after that, and Microsoft will inevitably bow down to the gods at Rockstar Games regarding any game’s release date on Xbox.

Hopefully, we see an announcement and release window for Forza Horizon 6 at Summer Game Fest, at the least. I could see Microsoft releasing a teaser trailer before June 2025 and then putting on a larger showcase at the event, but anything is on the table at this point.