The iconic Wristband system makes a triumphant return in Forza Horizon 6, meticulously crafted to ensure your progression feels both organic and deeply rewarding as you immerse yourself in the world.
While Wristbands serve as the cornerstone of your journey through the Horizon Festival, your Collection Journal—filled with hard-earned Stamps—stands as a comprehensive chronicle of every discovery made during your Japanese expedition.
These progression layers underpin our new campaign, but for those who thrive on the competitive thrill of online racing, drifting, or engaging with the vibrant community in our array of classic and brand-new game modes, there is Horizon Play—which brings its own unique progression structure.
These systems work in tandem with the traditional player leveling and prestige mechanics you know, reflecting your long-term dedication to the franchise. Additionally, Wheelspins make a comeback, though they are now exclusively available once you have officially qualified for the Horizon Festival. To preserve the balance of the core gameplay, we have recalibrated Wheelspins and Super Wheelspins; they are harder to acquire but offer significantly more meaningful rewards when they land in your favor.
With that in mind, let’s explore the three distinct progression paths awaiting you in Japan.
Wristbands
Wristbands act as your keys to unlocking new Festival events; as you ascend the ranks, you’ll gain access to races featuring higher car class restrictions.
The official Horizon Festival roster includes Road, Dirt, and Cross-Country races—each with specialized vehicle themes—alongside Time Attack Circuits, high-stakes Drag Meets, PR Stunts, and collectible Bonus Boards. To earn your inaugural Wristband, you must first conquer the Horizon Qualifiers and the Horizon Invitational.
Keep in mind that once a race has been completed for the first time, the Race Customizer unlocks for that event, granting you the freedom to choose any vehicle from your collection for replays and tailor the experience to your liking.
Reaching specific progression milestones will trigger a new Wristband Event. These high-octane challenges range from classic Showcases to our fresh Horizon Rush obstacle courses—completing them is mandatory to secure your next Wristband.
In total, there are seven Festival Wristbands to collect. The prestigious Gold Wristband is the ultimate achievement, granting you passage to Legend Island, where you can compete in exclusive events, including our most expansive, record-breaking Goliath race yet.
Stamps
Virtually everything you do in Japan contributes to earning your next Stamp.
This includes acquiring and tuning cars, capturing murals on camera, smashing mascot statues, uncovering hidden landmarks, joining Mei on guided tours, dominating Street and Touge races, or even earning extra credits through the Raku-Raku food delivery job.
Filling your Collection Journal with Stamps unlocks rumors regarding Barn Finds and new properties to acquire across Japan. Once your first Stamp is secured, Mei will introduce you to her grandparents’ neglected estate, offering you the chance to design and renovate your own custom home directly within the open world.
There are seven Stamps to collect in the “Discover Japan” set, inspired by the nation’s rich history of journey-marking. Collecting stamps transcends the concept of mere souvenirs; it is a cultural practice—a physical ‘proof of visit’ that serves to visualize your memories and reflect the scenery encountered on your trek.
For deeper insights into how Wristbands and Stamps anchor the campaign progression in Forza Horizon 6, check out this detailed blog.
Horizon Play
The Horizon Festival is exhilarating solo, but it shines brightest with friends. Whether you’re convoying across the map, accumulating cooperative LINK Skills, playing through Festival and Discover Japan events as a team, attending Shared World Meetups, or crafting bespoke races in CoLab, there are endless ways to experience the game together—all powered by Horizon Play.
Horizon Play offers a suite of modes tailored for fun and competition, including The Eliminator (our high-stakes open-world battle royale), Hide & Seek, Touge Showdown (intense head-to-head, three-race championships), and Spec Racing—a pure test of skill where everyone competes in identical stock vehicles.
Furthermore, standard free-for-all Horizon Racing and Drift modes are available, with custom matchmaking options for those with specific preferences. Custom Racing lets you define the car class and race type, while Custom Drifting allows you to dictate the vehicle class and drivetrain.
Horizon Play features its own dedicated leveling system. You’ll earn XP through participation, unlocking a new Badge every 10 ranks up to Level 100. Additional accolades and Badges are awarded for mastering specific Horizon Play modes and earning Skills.
There is also meaningful crossover with your campaign: each Horizon Play level earned (up to Level 25) contributes directly to your Festival Points, accelerating your journey toward your next Wristband, alongside other rewards that bolster your campaign progress.
Horizon Play also debuts its own set of Leaderboards. These Series Standing tables highlight the top performers for the current cycle and reset whenever a new Festival Playlist Series launches.
We are eager to see you all racing, drifting, and competing for glory when Early Access begins later this week.
Japan Awaits!
Secure your ticket—the journey to Japan begins soon!
Forza Horizon 6 launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19, with a PlayStation 5 release scheduled for later this year. Early Access is included in the Premium Edition. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can purchase the Premium Upgrade to jump into the action up to four days early, starting May 15.
Pre-orders are now available on the Microsoft Store and Steam. Pre-order now to receive an exclusive, pre-tuned Ferrari J50. You can also add the game to your Wishlist on the PlayStation Store to receive availability updates.
Join the conversation about everything Forza Horizon 6 in our official Forza Discord server. Keep up with the latest festival news by following @ForzaHorizon on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).