Forza Horizon 6 Early Access Steam Peak Doubles Series Record

Forza Horizon 6 is already breaking records before it even launches. During Premium Edition early access on May 15, 2026, Playground’s open-world racer set a new franchise peak on Steam that more than doubled the all-time high of Forza Horizon 5, according to a new report.

Insider Gaming says FH6’s early-access surge pushed the concurrent count past the series record, with the game still days away from its standard-edition release on May 19, 2026. The outlet also notes strong initial impressions from reviews, adding to the momentum heading into launch week.

Backing that up, SteamDB’s live charts show an all-time peak of 172,093 concurrent Steam players on May 15, the first day of early access for Premium buyers. That figure comfortably clears FH5’s historical peak, and it only counts those who paid for early entry rather than waiting for launch or playing via subscriptions on PC or console.

What’s confirmed and what isn’t

Confirmed: early access began globally on May 15 for Premium Edition owners, and the full release is set for May 19. Confirmed: Steam numbers climbed to a new franchise high in that paid early-access window. Not confirmed: how high the numbers will go on launch day when the standard edition unlocks and Game Pass players join in. Given the early-access spike, a new all-platform high seems likely, but we’ll have to see what the launch window brings.

Why it matters

Forza Horizon is one of the few racing series that can move hardware and subscriptions while still delivering big paid sales on PC. Hitting a record Steam peak during a paywalled early-access period suggests unusually strong purchase intent ahead of launch. It also positions FH6 to post eye-catching day-one stats once the standard edition opens the gates.

For now, the headline is simple: FH6 is resonating on PC. If those early adopters are a preview of broader interest, launch week could deliver another step-change for the franchise’s audience on Steam and beyond.

Read more details in Insider Gaming’s report, and you can track the ongoing player peaks via SteamDB’s charts.