Forza Horizon 6 arrives later this year, and today's Developer_Direct took us to Playground Games for an in-depth look at how this game has been brought to life. We of course, had to know even more, so I sat down with Design Director, Torben Ellert to learn about this gorgeous recreation of Japan, all of the brand-new additions coming with this mainline instalment, and exactly how Forza Horizon 6 aims to grant players the ultimate freedom of exploration.

The Start
You start Forza Horizon 6 not as a professional driver, but as a tourist, with a dream to one day attend the Horizon Festival in Japan. It's a slightly different approach compared with previous Horizon games; in Horizon 4, you're rising through the ranks in the UK, and in Horizon 5's Mexico, you're at the apex of the career you built in the epilogue of the previous game. Horizon 6 almost feels like a fresh start, and one designed to appeal not just to car enthusiasts, but anyone with a big goal.