Forza Horizon 6 is the first game in the series set in Japan because Playground Games wanted to “do the country justice,” and its Hot Wheels DLC helped that happen

Forza Horizon enthusiasts have been eager to witness the music/car festival arrive in Japan since the series first ignited its engines, and with the recently-unveiled Forza Horizon 6, it is finally becoming a reality. But what caused the delay of more than a decade? Developer Playground Games clarifies that it first required the right expertise to approach Tokyo City’s distinctive roads – the expertise of designing Hot Wheels tracks, to be precise.

Playground Games’ art supervisor Don Arceta informs GamesRadar+ that the team has “genuinely come to comprehend” the Xbox Series X over the years, which has facilitated their ambition to manifest Japan in-game, “but aside from the technology and console,” the greater asset was the studio’s experience from earlier titles.

“One illustration is Forza Horizon 5’s Hot Wheel expansion,” Arceta clarifies. “We developed an innovative approach to create those orange tracks that curve around the road for optimal quality and authenticity [to Hot Wheels]. We’ve effectively utilized and expanded upon that technology to construct elevated roadways that twist and interweave throughout Tokyo City.” Hot Wheels tracks encircling mountains, Tokyo roads… essentially the same, right?

“The charm of Horizon games lies in the fact that each installment teaches us valuable insights and methods to enhance the subsequent title,” he notes in a conversation with Xbox Wire, elaborating that the team was reluctant to approach Japan until the timing was perfect and until they could “honor the country appropriately” in every facet, particularly “genuine representation and Horizon open world functionality.”

“Along with acknowledging player feedback, we’ve also been able to focus on more pragmatic aspects,” he continues, before specifically referencing that previously mentioned Hot Wheels DLC.

Forza Horizon 6’s Japan is even larger than Forza Horizon 5’s map, which was already twice the size of FH4, but the new locale is “also rich” with “always something around the corner”