Forza Horizon 6 Sells 5 Million Copies in First Week

Forza Horizon 6 is cementing its place among the year's biggest game releases. According to Alinea Analytics, Playground Games' new racer sold nearly 5 million copies in its first week and generated roughly $325 million in gross revenue. This is particularly noteworthy given that the game has been available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers from day one.

Despite concerns that Game Pass might cannibalize sales, Forza Horizon 6 saw strong demand in traditional retail as well. Analysts report around 2.8 million copies on Steam and about 2.1 million on Xbox. That means console sales accounted for roughly 42% of the total, showing that players remain highly willing to buy major Xbox releases even with a subscription model in place.

Separately, over 3 million users tried the game through Game Pass Ultimate. These numbers align with Playground Games' recent statement that the total audience for Forza Horizon 6 has already exceeded 6 million players. For Microsoft, this is an important example of how a major release can drive sales, subscriber engagement, and the Game Pass brand all at once.

The game's success feels natural: the Forza Horizon series has long been one of Xbox's strongest internal franchises, and the sixth installment received a rapturous critical reception. It holds a 91 on Metacritic, with reviewers particularly praising the Japanese map, the visual polish, and the sense that Playground Games packed the best ideas from previous entries into one game.

Interestingly, Forza Horizon 6 isn't just a commercial triumph—it was also a crucial test for Playground Games itself. The studio's next big project is Fable, still expected in 2026. After such a powerful launch for the new Forza, the spotlight on the developers' next game will only grow brighter.