Key info for Forza Horizon 6 has raced online hours before tonight’s Xbox showcase, which is rumoured to feature four games instead of three.
Developer Playground Games is going to get a lot of attention tonight, as it will be showcasing both its Fable reboot and Forza Horizon 6 as part of the annual Xbox Developer Direct.
Both projects will receive new gameplay demonstrations, but some key details about Forza Horizon 6 have already jumped the starting line and sped onto the Internet.
Not only has a reliable source shared the game’s release date, but also the plans for two special editions; one of which will let you play Forza Horizon 6 even earlier.
When is the Forza Horizon 6 release date?
According to reliable insider billbil-kun at Dealabs, Forza Horizon 6 will launch for Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 19. This lines up with a promotional pop-up from Forza Horizon 5 that briefly appeared online last week.
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If you’re wondering why there’s no mention of a PlayStation 5 version, it is happening, but Microsoft has said it won’t be out until after the Xbox version. Likely because Microsoft’s current multiformat policy wasn’t in place when development of the game began.
Billbil-kun has also shared the game’s box art… sort of. It’s heavily blurred, but you can still make out a logo and a red car. It’s not enough to make out what kind of car but that will no doubt be released tonight.
As he often does, billbil-kun also revealed the deluxe and premium editions ahead of time, with pre-orders to open up later this evening, after the Xbox showcase.
It’s not known what extra content the deluxe edition will come with, but the premium edition will offer early access to Forza Horizon 6 starting from May 15, alongside a VIP subscription, car pass, welcome pack, and the time attack car pack.
The deluxe and premium editions will only be available digitally, while the standard version will have a physical release. It’ll apparently cost €69.99 in France, which would put it at about £60 here in the UK; a tad surprising considering Microsoft was talking about increasing game prices last year.
Granted, it tried that with The Outer Worlds 2, initially pricing it at $80 in the US, but there was enough of a backlash for Microsoft to relent and launch it for $70. Here in the UK, it initially went for £70, but it has since dropped to £60.
How to watch the Xbox Developer Direct tonight
The Xbox Developer Direct will air today at 6pm GMT and will be available to watch on Xbox’s official YouTube and Twitch channels.
Forza Horizon 6 and Fable are the big focuses, as they’re first party games, but the show will also feature Beast Of Reincarnation, a new action-roleplaying game from Pokémon developer Game Freak.
Although these are the only three games slated for the showcase, it’s rumoured that a secret fourth game will be shown too.
Before you get excited about it being Wolfenstein 3 or a Banjo-Kazooie revival, the game’s been described as a ‘smaller scale’ project from one of Xbox’s first party studios.
The Outer Worlds 2 developer Obsidian Entertainment is said to have some unannounced, smaller projects in the pipeline, so whatever the smaller game is it may be something in the mould of Grounded or Pentiment.
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