PlayGround Games didn’t hide gameplay until the very last minute—and it’s paid off handsomely. Players are already pre-ordering Forza Horizon 6 in full swing, and not just on consoles. There’s a real buzz on PC, too. The game has climbed to eighth place in the Steam bestseller charts, right behind the Korean hit Crimson Desert. And this is despite the full release still being over a month away. Players will be the first to hit the tracks in Japan on May 15th (plus the purchase of the Premium Edition for 6,000 rubles). The rest will follow on May 19th.
Xbox has placed a premium on transparency. And they’ve nailed it.
Long before release, the American publisher distributed an early version of the code to hundreds of reviewers—without the usual restrictions on publishing gameplay. Thanks to this, we already know that steering wheel support has finally been properly implemented in Forza Horizon 6. And the photorealistic graphics on the Xbox Series X, judging by yesterday’s cockpit footage, look almost like offline rendering.
Players appreciate this. Clearly, the strategy is working. Hopefully, this approach of showing major AAA titles live a month before release will become the new industry standard. Without fancy CGI teasers or closed presentations, everyone can see what they’re investing in upfront.
