Forza Horizon 6 player count is already more than double the FH5 peak, and it isn’t even fully out yet
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Forza Horizon 6 is already off to an incredible start, and the game has not even officially launched for everyone yet. The latest entry in the popular racing series became available in early access for Premium Edition owners on May 15, and hundreds of thousands of players instantly jumped in to explore its open-world Japan setting.
The full launch is scheduled for May 19, but players who purchased the Premium Edition were given access several days early. Even with that limited launch, the game has already managed to break major franchise records on Steam.
Forza Horizon 6 player numbers on Steam for early access
According to player tracking data, Forza Horizon 6 quickly crossed more than 135,000 concurrent players on Steam during the early access launch day. The numbers kept climbing throughout the day, eventually pushing beyond 164,000 players.
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Later on during the day, it climbed to more than 170,000 – a massive jump compared to Forza Horizon 5, which peaked at around 81,000 concurrent players during its launch in 2021. These numbers only represent Steam players who paid extra for early access, $120 to be exact. The game is also available through Xbox and the Microsoft Store, meaning the real player count is even higher.
The strong launch shows just how much excitement there has been around the new setting, and we expect further player count highs during peak times in the U.S. Fans have wanted a Japan-based Forza Horizon game for years, and Playground Games finally delivered with a map filled with busy city streets, mountain roads, countryside routes, and Japanese car culture.
Some players were so eager to play that leaked game files started spreading online before launch, forcing the developers to respond to the situation by issuing bans to those who went online on a pirated copy. Despite those issues, the early access launch appears to be a massive success. Reviews from players have also been very positive so far, with many praising the visuals, driving feel, improved world design, and the overall atmosphere of the game.
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