"Japan is widely loved, but it can also be widely misread when you only see it from afar,"
"The team wanted to present more than a postcard or a backdrop; they wanted a lived-in world. Having a cultural consultant early helps you make a thousand small, respectful decisions: how neighborhoods sound, even what a sign color communicates about a shop. Those small choices add up to credibility and help avoid stereotypes, while also making it a truly immersive experience for players."
"Kei cars and vans with cult followings, precision motorsport, drifting's roots, and their passion for customization really stands out. It's welcoming to different levels of enthusiasm and knowledge, which is exactly the kind of layered world I want players to feel."
Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios set Forza Horizon 6 in Japan and engaged cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita to guide authentic recreation. Development emphasizes a lived-in world built from many small, respectful decisions such as neighborhood sounds and shop sign colors to increase credibility and avoid stereotypes. Authenticity is treated as an ongoing practice across seasonal changes and day-night cycles rather than a checklist. The map aims to feel familiar rather than be a literal one-to-one recreation. Japanese car culture elements—kei cars, precision motorsport, drifting origins, and customization—are integrated. The game launches in 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and PC, day one on Xbox Game Pass, with a PS5 port in development.
Read at GameSpot
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