Forza Horizon 6 passes 170,000 Steam players during early access

Forza Horizon 6 is already off to a strong start before its full launch. The game entered early access for players who bought the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade, and it quickly reached more than 170,000 concurrent players on Steam.

The early access launch began ahead of the full release on May 19, 2026. Within its first half day, Forza Horizon 6 reached a peak of 172,093 concurrent Steam players. That is a major result for a paid early access period, especially because the full launch on Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass has not happened yet.

The number also puts Forza Horizon 6 well ahead of Forza Horizon 5 on Steam. The previous game reached an all time Steam peak of 81,096 players. Forza Horizon 6 has already more than doubled that figure during early access alone.

The Steam figure only shows part of the total audience. Forza Horizon 6 is also available on Xbox consoles and PC through the Microsoft Store, so the actual player count across all platforms is likely much higher. The number could grow again when the game becomes available to more players on May 19.

The strong start also follows positive early reviews. Forza Horizon 6 has been praised for its open world racing, larger scale, and polished driving experience. The game is being positioned as one of Microsoft’s biggest releases of 2026, and the early access numbers suggest it could become one of the year’s major gaming hits.

Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade buyers receive three days of early access before the wider launch. That means the current Steam numbers come from players who were willing to pay extra to start early, making the result more notable.

Forza Horizon 6 will fully launch on Xbox Series X and S, Windows PC, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass on May 19, 2026. Based on its early access performance, the game appears set for a much larger opening once it reaches the full player base.