No, The Forza Horizon “Leak” Doesn’t Mean Japan Is Next
Reddit has been ablaze for the last 72 hours due to a viral social post which some believe is proof that Forza Horizon 6 will take place in Japan. The story has been covered in automotive and games media as a strong hint that the next game in the Forza Horizon franchise is Japan-bound. Here’s the thing, this image is not the smoking gun some fans think it is. Let’s break down the facts.
Forza Dev Seen Scanning a Japanese Kei Car
This all started when someone from an Australian-based car importer called Cult and Classic posted an image to social media of a Forza developer named Cody scanning a 2019-2020 Suzuki Every PZ kei van with the caption: “We have Cody here from [Forza Horizon] shooting cars for the next installation in the series.” The caption continues: “As there are no late model Kei cars in America, he has flown out from the states to use our cars as the basis for their digital versions.” The post was deleted but not before it set off a massive reaction among fans and other media reporting this as strong proof that Forza Horizon 6 is going to Japan.
The thing is, this effectively has nothing to do with where the next Forza Horizon game is going to take place.
Kei Cars Are Not New to Forza
The crux of this theory is a developer is scanning a Kei car must mean Forza Horizon 6 will be Japan-based since Kei cars are a key part of Japanese automotive culture. In a vacuum that is a logical train of thought. However, when looking at the bigger picture this theory falls apart.
Specifically, because other Forza Horizon games have featured Kei cars in the past. Heck, the current game Forza Horizon 5—which takes place in Mexico—has Kei cars in it right now available to players. The fact is regardless of the setting, every Forza Horizon game has featured American cars, European cars, and Japanese cars.
So, when it comes to the setting of the next game, a developer photographing a Japanese Kei car doesn’t mean much, other than the next game will have a Suzuki Every PZ van.
Now, if a Forza Horizon developer was seen in Japan with their proprietary HDR dome camera system that Playground Games uses to capture weather and cloud patterns specific to a certain region, that would be much more meaningful.
Here’s Why It Could Be Japan
I realize I just spent a whole-ass paragraph talking about why this social post doesn’t mean the next Horizon game will be in Japan. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, only that this social post isn’t sufficient proof that it will.
Though, there is at least two other reasons to believe that Forza Horizon 6 will be set in Japan. The first is a report from Windows Central that broke appoximately 48 hours after the photo went viral. Windows Central claims to have seen internal documents that “suggest” that Forza Horizon 6 will be revealed during the 2025 Tokyo Game Show and will reveal the location as Japan.
Windows Central has a pretty good track record when it comes to Xbox rumors, however I am still slightly doubtful of the report which I’ll get into later.
The second reason is the fan factor. The fact is that fans have been begging for a Japan setting since Forza Horizon 2. Whenever rumors start bubbling up about the next Horizon game, Japan is always the first guess for the location in the Forza community. Despite that, the developers at Playground Games have always turned a hard left from expectations.
When I interviewed Playground Games head Ralph Fulton after Forza Horizon 4’s reveal at E3 2018, he mentioned that when they were deciding on the location, they had a “short list” of possibilities before it was narrowed down to Great Brittain.
Just like today, back then it was heavily rumored that Forza Horizon 4 would take place in Japan. I asked if Japan was part of that short list and despite the team being “well-aware” of the fervor for the country it was never on the radar during development.
“Japan is a beautiful country and it’s a really cool country. It’s got lots of automotive culture and history,” said Fulton. “But, no it was never really in the running for this [Forza Horizon 4] game, and I don’t really know where that rumor came from.”
So, four games in and Japan wasn’t even considered. I’m not sure if Japan made that “short list” for Forza Horizon 5, but it’s not crazy to think that by now Japan has been looked at as a strong prospect. There’s an opportunity hype up the fan base like never before with just a simple flash of the Japanese flag when Forza Horizon 6 is announced next year. I have to believe it’s a real possibility.
Then again, does the Forza Horizon franchise actually need hype? The series already has a ton of goodwill among fans, and Forza Horizon 5 even won IGN’s Game of the Year in 2021. That proves that a Horizon game doesn’t need Japan to be successful.
If Not Japan, Where?
There are many things that Playground Games considers when choosing a location for a Horizon game. Car culture is definitely a part of it but with it being an open world game, environmental aspects play a huge part. Especially when considering the changing seasons mechanic that became part of the franchise in Forza Horizon 4.
If I had to venture a guess I think, India is a likely candidate. The country has a rich culture and history, has a mix of visually pleasing environments from urban centers to deserts, to jungles. It checks a lot of the boxes and it’s a location that I don’t think many people would see coming.
If not India or Japan, I think a southeast Asian country is a likely possibility. Specifically, Thailand which has a booming car scene.
I wouldn’t rule out an African country either, such as Nigeria or Kenya.
We’ll Find Out Next Year
Even If the Japan theory is debunked (for now), there’s no way that speculation won’t continue for Forza Horizon 6’s location. As usual Japan is the front runner, but now that the world knows development is in full swing, every last social post, statement, and potential leak will be heavily scrutinized until we get official information.
According to Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer that official information should come in 2026 when Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary. During the June 2025 Xbox Showcase Spencer confirmed that a new Forza game will be announced as part of the year-long festivities. Until then, I’m going to keep my ears to the ground and my eyes open for any other clues that could reveal more info, so stay tuned.