A recently deleted Instagram post from an Australian car importer named Cult and Classic has stirred up some talk by hinting the next Forza Horizon installment could be set in Japan. The post showed a photographer snapping shots of kei cars—tiny, expressway-legal vehicles mostly found in Japan—and mentioned a collaboration with the Forza Horizon team to create digital versions of these cars.
Kei cars are a particular kind of vehicle native to Japan, often used by farmers or laborers, and rarely seen outside the country. That these cars are being scanned so carefully suggests the game might take players on a ride through Japanese roads and landscapes. Kinda interesting, right? Who wouldn’t want to cruise in a cute little kei car through neon-lit streets or rural mountain passes?
Since Forza Horizon 5 smashed records with over 10 million players in its first week back in 2021, expectations are sky-high for whatever comes next. Microsoft even celebrated it as their biggest Xbox launch ever. The game’s release on PlayStation 5 earlier this year gave it another big boost, pushing it up to second place in US sales charts for April, right behind Oblivion Remastered. Wow, that’s some serious momentum.
So, why Japan? Maybe Microsoft and Playground Games want to shake things up by shifting the open-world racing playground to a country with a distinct car culture and scenery. Japan’s mix of urban sprawl, countryside, and iconic cars could offer fresh challenges and visuals for the series. But who knows? Maybe they just really like kei cars.
What’s your take? Would a Japanese setting for Forza Horizon be a welcome change, or are you hoping they stick closer to home? Let me know in the comments below, and let’s get the conversation rolling.
