Playground Games has officially revealed Horizon Play, Forza Horizon 6’s multiplayer hub featuring Spec Racing, Touge Showdown, seamless open-world activities, and its own leveling system. Here is everything we know.
Forza Horizon 6’s multiplayer suite, officially called Horizon Play, has been fully revealed by Playground Games ahead of the game’s May 19, 2026 launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC. A social media post showed the in-game Horizon Play menu, complete with an XP progression bar, account leveling, and a scrollable list of multiplayer modes. With over 550 cars and Japan’s largest-ever Horizon open world, the multiplayer side of Forza Horizon 6 is shaping up to be the most ambitious in the series.
What Is Horizon Play?
Horizon Play is the unified multiplayer hub inside Forza Horizon 6. It replaces the previous “Horizon Open” structure from Forza Horizon 5 and serves as the single entry point for all competitive and cooperative online modes. The menu screenshot revealed by Playground Games shows each mode listed with quick-launch access, alongside a visible XP bar and player level. Two achievements tied specifically to Horizon Play, earning 10 levels (10 Gamerscore) and earning 100 levels (30 Gamerscore), confirm that the system has its own independent progression track separate from the single-player campaign.
Confirmed Multiplayer Modes at Launch
Based on the revealed screenshot, the Discord Q&A hosted by Design Director Torben Ellert on April 27, and official Playground Games communications, Horizon Play includes the following modes from day one:
- Horizon Racing: The series staple online racing mode covering road and dirt events.
- Spec Racing Championship: A brand-new mode where every player races the same car with identical upgrades and tuning. This eliminates meta advantages entirely and makes pure driving skill the only differentiator.
- Touge Showdown: A dedicated 1v1 format inspired by Japan’s mountain pass racing culture. Five preset winding routes rotate through continuous online matchmaking. These races operate independently of standard festival progression.
- The Eliminator: The returning battle royale mode. All players now start in the same vehicle, a 1984 Honda City, standardising the opening phase of each match.
- Hide & Seek: Previously a post-launch addition in Forza Horizon 5, this mode is now available at launch.
The visible scroll bar in the menu screenshot suggests additional modes may be available below the fold or added post-launch.
Why Spec Racing Championship Matters
Spec Racing is arguably the most significant competitive addition to the Horizon multiplayer formula. In previous entries, online races were often dominated by meta builds, specific car and tune combinations that gave measurable advantages regardless of driver skill. Spec Racing strips all of that away. Every participant drives an identical vehicle, meaning races are decided entirely by racecraft: braking points, racing lines, throttle control, and overtaking strategy. For competitive players who have been requesting a level playing field for years, this is a direct answer.
Seamless Open-World Multiplayer Activities
Beyond the menu-based modes in Horizon Play, Forza Horizon 6 integrates several multiplayer experiences directly into the shared open world with zero loading screens or lobby waits:
- Time Attack Circuits: Permanent race circuits scattered across the map. Drive onto the track and your lap timer starts immediately. Ghost cars from real players populate the circuit, and in-world leaderboards filter results by performance index class. A dedicated Time Attack circuit is also located on Legend Island.
- Drag Meets: Three open-world drag strips supporting up to 12 players each. Pull up to the starting line, press the ready prompt, and your car snaps into the grid. Synchronised light trees count down the start, a feature the community has wanted since Forza Horizon 4.
- Car Meets: Three permanent social spaces at the Horizon Festival grounds, the Okuibuki parking area in the Alps, and the iconic Daikoku. Players can inspect each other’s cars, download liveries and tunes, and even purchase copies of vehicles they admire.
Leaderboards for Time Attack and Drag Meets reset weekly with each season change, giving players a recurring reason to compete for top positions.
The LINK Skill System: Rewarding Cooperative Play
Forza Horizon 6 introduces LINK Skills, a cooperative layer built on top of the existing skill point system. When you perform the same skill as another nearby player simultaneously, such as tandem drifting, hitting a danger sign together, or reaching high speed in parallel, you earn a boosted “LINK” version of that skill worth additional points. The more players involved, the higher the multiplier. Playground Games described this as a system designed to reward players for naturally playing near each other rather than forcing structured cooperation. It works across all open-world activities, from Time Attack circuits to casual free roam driving.
Festival Playlist Overhaul and Stunt Party
During the April 27 Discord Q&A, Torben Ellert confirmed major changes to the Festival Playlist system. In Forza Horizon 6, the playlist unlocks within roughly one hour of gameplay, as soon as the player earns entry to the Horizon Festival. More importantly, cars from expired weekly playlists will no longer be permanently locked away. Instead, they will cycle into the game’s dynamic Aftermarket car system, where spawn locations are fixed on the map but active inventory varies per player. Forza Edition vehicles will remain extremely rare. The cooperative public events previously known as Forzathon Live have been rebranded as Stunt Party.
Legend Island: The Endgame Destination
Players who earn all seven Festival Wristbands and reach the Gold tier become Horizon Legends, unlocking access to Legend Island. This exclusive endgame zone features its own festival outpost, dedicated high-tier events, a unique Time Attack circuit, and the starting line for the Goliath endurance race, now spanning 50 miles (80 kilometres) and renamed the Colossus. It loops the entire map via the freeway and is designed specifically for R-class hypercars.
Cross-Play, Cross-Save, and Platform Availability
Forza Horizon 6 supports cross-play and cross-save across Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Store and Steam), and PlayStation 5. For the first time in the series, cross-save between Xbox and Steam is included. The PS5 version is confirmed for later in 2026. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can play at no extra cost from May 19, while Premium Edition owners gain early access starting May 15. The game has already surpassed 500,000 pre-orders on Steam alone.
What Players Are Still Asking
Does Horizon Play have its own leveling system?
Yes. The achievement list confirms independent Horizon Play levels with XP earned through multiplayer activities. Two achievements specifically track reaching level 10 and level 100 within Horizon Play.
How many players can be in a session?
Open-world activities like Drag Meets and Car Meets support up to 12 players. The Eliminator likely supports a larger pool, though exact numbers have not been officially confirmed for Forza Horizon 6.
Will there be an Auction House?
No mention of the Auction House was made during Torben Ellert’s Discord Q&A or in any official communication so far. Community forums have flagged this as a notable absence, and it remains unclear whether the feature will be present at launch.
Can Touge Showdown be played solo?
Yes. In single-player, each of the five mountain pass routes has a specific opponent parked near the start, and these races sit outside the main festival progression. In multiplayer, the same five routes rotate through a dedicated 1v1 matchmaking championship.
Is EventLab multiplayer now?
Partially. The new Horizon CoLab feature allows up to 12 players to build custom events together anywhere in the open world. However, Customisable Garages and The Estate only support solo building.
Forza Horizon 6 launches May 19, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with the PS5 version following later in the year. Horizon Play represents the most structured and feature-rich multiplayer package the series has ever offered. For more on the game, check out our coverage of Forza Horizon 6’s record-breaking Steam pre-orders.
