Following the January reveal of Forza Horizon 6 set in Japan, developers at Playground Games have assigned a dedicated team to build the game's expansive Tokyo—the largest urban area in series history. Art director Don Arceta detailed its scale and complexity in a recent IGN interview.
In a recent IGN interview, Forza Horizon 6 art director Don Arceta highlighted the studio's specialized approach to Tokyo. "We have a team making [Tokyo] specifically, and a lot of that is: it’s our biggest city we’ve ever made," Arceta said. "It’s so layered and so detailed – much more than anything we’ve done in the past. To make Tokyo City for Forza Horizon, we really need a dedicated team. It covers everything from roads, buildings, foliage, terrain; Tokyo has all of it. It’s just such a big biome that it just warranted its own team."
The city is five times larger than any prior urban area in the series, incorporating distinct districts like suburbs and docks, functioning almost like a standalone open world within the larger Japan map. This builds on the massive setting unveiled at Xbox Developer Direct, underscoring Playground Games' focus on immersive environments ahead of the game's Xbox Series X/S, PC, and later PS5 launch.