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Playground Games made Forza Horizon 6. The British studio was established in 2010 in Leamington Spa, England, has made every Forza Horizon game with Turn 10 Studios, was bought by Microsoft in 2018 and is also making Fable, due Feb 23, 2027.
Playground Games made Forza Horizon 6. The studio was established in 2010 at Rossmore House in Leamington Spa, England, has made every Forza Horizon game since the first in 2012, always alongside Turn 10 Studios, and has been part of Microsoft since Jun 10, 2018. Its second series is Fable, which Xbox now dates to Feb 23, 2027. On Forza Horizon 6 the faces of the team were Design Director Torben Ellert and Art Director Don Arceta, and the PS5 version, due Jan 26, 2027, is being built by Panic Button with Playground and Turn 10.
Quick facts
| Founded | 2010, Leamington Spa, England |
| Buildings | Rossmore House (2010), St Albans House (2018), 6 Dormer Place (2024) |
| Owner | Microsoft (Xbox Game Studios) since Jun 10, 2018 |
| Partner studio | Turn 10 Studios, Redmond, Washington |
| Series | Forza Horizon (since 2012), Fable (2027) |
| Latest game | Forza Horizon 6, May 19, 2026 |
| Next game | Fable, Feb 23, 2027 (as of Nov 3, 2026) |
| Forza Horizon 6 leads named | Torben Ellert (Design Director), Don Arceta (Art Director) |
Sources: Playground Games: About; Xbox Wire, Jun 10, 2018; Xbox Wire, Jun 7, 2026; forza.net; Xbox Wire, Jan 22, 2026.
Who made Forza Horizon 6?
Playground Games developed Forza Horizon 6 and Xbox Game Studios published it. forza.net credits the game to Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios, the Redmond studio that makes Forza Motorsport. Before release, Xbox Wire interviewed Design Director Torben Ellert (Jan 22, 2026) and Art Director Don Arceta with cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita (Sep 25, 2025); Arceta had held the same role on Forza Horizon 5. Their words on the setting are on Why Japan.
The PS5 version is the work of Panic Button, which also made Forza Horizon 5's: Playground's PS5 FAQ says it is developed by Panic Button with Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios (Oct 8, 2026). See PS5 Release Date.
History
Playground started in 2010 in Rossmore House; it added St Albans House nearby in 2018 and 6 Dormer Place in 2024, all in Leamington Spa. Its founders are commonly given as Gavin Raeburn, Trevor Williams and Ralph Fulton, veterans of British racing studios; that rests on encyclopedia text, not a primary source read for this page. In March 2017 MCV named Raeburn as chief executive and Fulton as creative director, with the studio hiring a second team, and quoted Raeburn: "I think there's never been a better time for the UK dev scene." Who leads the studio as of Nov 3, 2026 was not confirmed in a source read for this page.
The partnership with Turn 10 is the studio's whole Forza history: Xbox Wire wrote in 2018 that "Ever since Playground Games was established as a studio, they have partnered exclusively with Turn 10 Studios."
Microsoft and Fable
Microsoft announced it had bought Playground at its E3 briefing on Jun 10, 2018, alongside Undead Labs, Ninja Theory and Compulsion Games. Alan Hartman, then head of the Forza franchise, wrote that Playground would keep making Forza Horizon while bringing its open-world skill to "an entirely new project". That project was Fable, announced at the 2020 Xbox Games Showcase. It was dated for autumn 2026 in January, then moved: Xbox Wire now gives Feb 23, 2027 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud and PS5, with Premium early access from Feb 18. So the studio's two series land eight months apart, and Forza Horizon 6 reaches PS5 four weeks before Fable.
Playground's games
| Game | Year | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Forza Horizon | 2012 | Colorado |
| Forza Horizon 2 | 2014 | Southern Europe (France and Italy) |
| Forza Horizon 3 | 2016 | Australia |
| Forza Horizon 4 | 2018 | Britain |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 2021 | Mexico |
| Forza Horizon 6 | 2026 | Japan |
| Fable | 2027 (due Feb 23) | Not a racing game: the studio's second series |
Sources: Playground Games: About; Metacritic; the Forza Horizon 5 anniversary post naming "Colorado, Southern Europe, Australia, Britain, or Mexico", Jul 17, 2025. More on Forza Horizon Games in Order, Forza Horizon 1 to 3, Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5.
Awards
Playground's own page lists its awards: Forza Horizon 5 won Racing Game of the Year at the 25th D.I.C.E. Awards and British Game at the 18th British Academy Games Awards (2022); the studio won Best Large Company at the GamesIndustry.biz Best Places to Work Awards (2025), Sustainability Champion at the Ukie awards (2025) and two TIGA awards (January 2026). Playground Games: About. Forza Horizon 6's own reception is on Reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Who made Forza Horizon 6? Playground Games, the studio in Leamington Spa, England, developed Forza Horizon 6 with Turn 10 Studios, and Xbox Game Studios published it. Panic Button is building the PS5 version with them for Jan 26, 2027.
Where is Playground Games based? Playground Games is in Leamington Spa, England, in three buildings: Rossmore House, St Albans House and 6 Dormer Place.
Is Playground Games owned by Microsoft? Yes. Microsoft announced it had acquired Playground Games on Jun 10, 2018; the studio is part of Xbox Game Studios and still makes Forza Horizon, including Forza Horizon 6.
Is Playground Games making Fable? Yes. Fable is Playground's second series, announced in 2020, and is due Feb 23, 2027 on Xbox Series X|S, PC and PS5, eight months after Forza Horizon 6.
Who directed Forza Horizon 6? Playground's most quoted leads on Forza Horizon 6 are Design Director Torben Ellert and Art Director Don Arceta, who also held that role on Forza Horizon 5.
Sources
- About, Playground Games, undated
- Forza Horizon, Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios, undated
- Forza Horizon 6 Now Available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, Playground Games, May 19, 2026
- Forza Horizon 6 on PlayStation 5 FAQ, Forza Support, Oct 8, 2026
- E3 2018: Playground Games Joins Microsoft Studios, Xbox Wire, Jun 10, 2018
- Fable cast list, new trailer, Hayley Atwell, Xbox Games Showcase 2026, Xbox Wire, Jun 7, 2026
- Forza Horizon 6: Answering the Big Questions About That Japan Setting, Xbox Wire, Sep 25, 2025
- Forza Horizon 6: More Details on The Country, The Culture and The Cars of Playground Games' Japan, Xbox Wire, Jan 22, 2026
- Exploring the Biomes and Seasons of Forza Horizon 5, Xbox Wire, Jul 26, 2021
- Celebrate Forza Horizon 5's 10-Year Anniversary Once More!, Playground Games, Jul 17, 2025
- How Playground accelerated Forza over the $1bn line, MCV, Mar 7, 2017
- Forza Horizon, Metacritic
- Forza Horizon 6 - Everything To Know, GameSpot, May 11, 2026 (video)
Moments
Forza Horizon 6 - Everything To Know
GameSpot
Related
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Aftermarket CarsAftermarket Cars in Forza Horizon 6 are secondhand cars parked on driveways and roadsides across Japan, often discounted and sometimes modified or rare, that can be test driven and bought on the spot. A dealership by the Horizon Stadium in Shimanoyama changes its stock with each series.
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Barn FindsForza Horizon 6 has 15 Barn Finds, by PC Gamer's count, unlocked as rumors when players earn Discover Japan Stamps in the Collection Journal, mostly two per Stamp rank, from a Honda NSX-R GT to the Mazda 787B.
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Best CarsThere is no official best car in Forza Horizon 6; the published picks are opinions. Dexerto's tier list puts cars such as the GR GT Prototype, Koenigsegg Jesko, Pagani Huayra R and Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition in its top tier, and names the 1989 Nissan Silvia K's the best starter car.
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Car Classes and Performance IndexForza Horizon 6 rates every car with a Performance Index (PI) from 100 to 998 and groups them into seven classes, D, C, B, A, S1, S2 and R, the R class new for track cars. No X class appears on Playground's car list as of Nov 3, 2026.
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Car ListForza Horizon 6 has 667 cars from 95 makes on Playground Games' published car list as of Nov 3, 2026, up from "more than 550" at launch on May 19, 2026. This page lists every one by manufacturer with its class, PI and how to get it.
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Car PassThe Forza Horizon 6 Car Pass is 30 cars delivered one a week from May 19, 2026, $29.99 alone or included in the Deluxe and Premium editions and the Premium Upgrade. As of Nov 3, 2026, 28 are named, the last four arriving in November; on PS5 all 30 come at once.
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Cover CarsForza Horizon 6's cover cars are the 2025 GR GT Prototype, making its video game debut, and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser. Both are in the Autoshow and Wheelspins for every player; the GR GT is S1 771 and the Land Cruiser C 456.
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Customization and LiveriesForza Horizon 6 lets players change body kits, rims and paint and design liveries, now also on windows for the first time in the series; it adds over 100 new rims, gloss to matte finishes with metal flake and candy paints, and Paint Body (Advanced) since Sep 2026. Up to 252 vinyls import from Forza Horizon 5.
See also
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Why JapanForza Horizon 6 is set in Japan because it was one of the Forza Horizon community's most requested locations, Playground Games says, and because the studio felt its technology could finally do Japan justice. The setting was revealed at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show broadcast on Sep 25, 2025.
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PS5 Release DateForza Horizon 6 comes to PS5 on Jan 26, 2027, with Premium Edition early access from Jan 21, 2027, as Playground Games announced on Oct 8, 2026. It costs the same as on Xbox and PC and has cross-play and cross-save with them.
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Forza Horizon Games in OrderThere are six Forza Horizon games, all by Playground Games: Forza Horizon (2012, Colorado), Forza Horizon 2 (2014, southern Europe), Forza Horizon 3 (2016, Australia), Forza Horizon 4 (2018, Britain), Forza Horizon 5 (2021, Mexico) and Forza Horizon 6 (2026, Japan).
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Forza Horizon 1 to 3The first three Forza Horizon games were set in Colorado (Forza Horizon, Oct 23, 2012), southern France and northern Italy (Forza Horizon 2, Sep 30, 2014) and Australia (Forza Horizon 3, 2016). All three are delisted; Forza Horizon 6 rewards their owners with a loyalty car.
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Forza Horizon 4Forza Horizon 4 is Playground Games' 2018 open-world racing game set in Britain, released Oct 2, 2018, best known for its four changing seasons. It was delisted from sale on Dec 15, 2024, though owners can still play it online, and Forza Horizon 6 brought its seasons to Japan.
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Forza Horizon 5Forza Horizon 5 is Playground Games' 2021 open-world racing game set in Mexico, out Nov 9, 2021 and on PS5 since Apr 29, 2025. It is the game before Forza Horizon 6, still on sale, with two expansions and "nearly 900" cars by January 2025.