Forza Horizon 6 is already looking like the game to beat in 2026, at least on the review scoreboard.
Reviews for Xbox and Playground Games’ latest open-world racing sim went live on May 14, one day before the game’s paid early access launch. The early critical response is seriously strong: as of Kotaku’s report, Forza Horizon 6 was sitting at a 92 overall score on Metacritic, based on 62 reviews for Xbox Series X/S.
That puts it ahead of the previous 2026 leaders on the site, Resident Evil Requiem and Pokémon Pokopia, which were both listed at 89. For a racing game to be sitting above survival horror and Pokémon in a big release year? That is a proper statement.
The funny thing is, this is not even shocking anymore. Forza Horizon has been ridiculously consistent for years. The last three entries also crossed the 90+ mark on Metacritic, which is the kind of run most big franchises would kill for. While Xbox’s brand image is still tied to names like Halo, Gears, and Fable, the most reliable Xbox heavyweight right now might actually be the colourful car festival series that started as a spin-off.
And honestly, that makes sense. Forza Horizon found the perfect balance: serious enough driving physics to satisfy people who care about cars, but loose and chaotic enough for casual players who just want to blast through beautiful roads, jump off cliffs, and collect ridiculous vehicles. It is not trying to be a dry sim. It is a big open-world playground with proper handling underneath.
For Malaysian and SEA players, this matters because racing games have always had a strong casual appeal here. Whether you grew up on arcade racers, Need for Speed at cybercafes, or just enjoy testing cars you will probably never buy in real life, Forza Horizon is one of those series that works even if you are not a hardcore racing fan. A score this high also means Xbox has a major title that can pull attention in a region where PlayStation, PC, and mobile usually dominate the gaming conversation.
There is one small caveat with Metacritic comparisons: the site usually highlights the score from a game’s most-reviewed platform. So Resident Evil Requiem’s 89 is based on PS5 reviews, while its Xbox version reportedly had fewer reviews and a higher score. That makes direct ranking a bit messy, but it does not really change the main point: critics are clearly loving Forza Horizon 6.
The bigger story is Xbox’s identity shift. For years, people looked at Master Chief as the face of the brand. Now? Playground Games might have built Xbox’s most dependable prestige franchise. Wild, but deserved.
If the final player response matches the critic hype, Forza Horizon 6 could be one of the biggest releases SEA racing fans talk about this year.
Source: Kotaku