A potential Forza Horizon 6 release date leak is circulating after what appears to be an in-game message popped up in Forza Horizon 5.
According to a screenshot circulating, there’s apparently a pre-order prompt pointing to a release sometime in mid-May 2026.
The mid-May date actually gives enough time to get people excited; maybe even specific enough that some players are already thinking about requesting time off work or clearing their calendars.
But here’s the thing: this is also exactly the kind of leak that gets people rearranging their entire schedule around a game that ends up launching weeks or even months later than expected.
So while it’s tempting to lock in those vacation days, it’s probably smart to hold off until there’s an official announcement.
As of now, this message hasn’t appeared for most players, and we still don’t have any of the basics confirmed, like pricing, which editions might be available, or which regions will get it first.
Forza Horizon 6 Release Date
The release date wasn’t something Xbox officially announced or posted. Instead, Xbox Era was among the first gaming outlets to highlight the screenshot after it began circulating on social media. They credited the image to an account called @XBOXF10.
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That backstory is important because it gives us context for what we’re really looking at here: a single screenshot, shared by someone else, with no clear way for most players to actually verify it themselves in the game.
That’s pretty shaky ground to stand on. Though the banner looks professional and well-made, one isolated sighting doesn’t mean there’s a solid launch plan in place. It could be real, a mistake, a test, or even something fake that just looks convincing.
Forza Horizon 6 Release Date might be on January 22
If you want actual clarity on this, mark January 22 on your calendar. That’s when the Xbox Developer Direct is happening, and it’s your best bet for getting a confirmed release date along with any pre-order information Microsoft is ready to officially share.
Here’s the catch: if Microsoft mentions those May dates during the event and the pre-order details line up with what’s in that leaked screenshot, then yeah, the leak suddenly becomes a lot more credible.
But if they don’t mention it at all, or if the details don’t match up, then you should treat that screenshot as background noise, not something you can actually plan around.
You can also check where Forza Horizon 6 sits on the broader 2026 release calendar to see if the timing even makes sense.
The thing is, don’t commit your vacation days or your wallet based on a single in-game prompt that nobody can verify. Wait until Xbox actually fills in all the missing details before you make any solid plans.
