Playground Games has officially detailed the three core progression systems players will experience in Forza Horizon 6 when the game launches later this month.

The new systems — Wristbands, Stamps, and Horizon Play — are designed to support different playstyles, whether players prefer solo exploration, competitive racing, drifting, or multiplayer activities across the game’s massive open-world version of Japan.

Wristbands Return as the Core Festival Progression System

The iconic Wristband system officially returns in Forza Horizon 6, acting as the main way players progress through the Horizon Festival campaign.

As players complete races and events, they’ll unlock higher-tier Wristbands, granting access to more difficult competitions and higher-performance vehicle restrictions.

The Horizon Festival will include:

• Road Racing
• Dirt Racing
• Cross Country
• Drag Meets
• Time Attack Circuits
• PR Stunts
• Bonus Boards

Players must first complete the Horizon Qualifiers and Horizon Invitational before earning their first Wristband.

According to Playground Games, there are a total of 7 Festival Wristbands to earn.

The final and most prestigious reward is the Gold Wristband, which unlocks access to Legend Island and special late-game events, including the largest Goliath race in series history.

Stamps Reward Exploration Across Japan

The second progression path focuses entirely on exploration and discovery.

Everything players do while traveling across Japan contributes toward earning Stamps for the new Collection Journal system.

Activities that award Stamp progress include:

• Collecting cars
• Vehicle customization
• Photographing murals
• Smashing mascots
• Discovering landmarks
• Completing Touge races
• Participating in food delivery jobs
• Touring Japan with Mei

Collecting Stamps unlocks:

• Barn Find rumors
• New player homes
• Additional activities and rewards

One especially interesting feature allows players to restore and customize Mei’s abandoned family estate directly within the open world.

Playground Games says the Stamp system was heavily inspired by Japan’s real-world cultural tradition of stamp collecting and documenting travel experiences.

Forza Horizon 6 Multiplayer Modes Revealed – New and Returning Modes Confirmed

Horizon Play Expands Multiplayer Progression

For competitive players, Horizon Play introduces a separate multiplayer progression system built entirely around online activities.

This includes both returning and brand-new game modes such as:

• The Eliminator
• Hide & Seek
• Touge Showdown
• Horizon Racing
• Horizon Drift
• Spec Racing

Spec Racing is a new mode where all players use stock vehicles, meaning pure driving skill becomes the deciding factor.

Custom matchmaking also allows players to create:

• Custom Racing events
• Custom Drift sessions
• Specific class restrictions
• Preferred drivetrain setups

Multiplayer Has Its Own Leveling and Leaderboards

Horizon Play includes its own dedicated ranking system.

Players earn XP by participating in multiplayer modes and unlock:

• New Badges every 10 levels
• Additional rewards up to Level 100
• Campaign bonuses tied to multiplayer progression

Interestingly, Horizon Play progression also partially contributes toward Wristband progression during the early game.

The mode additionally introduces:

• Seasonal leaderboards
• Mode-specific rankings
• Rotating competitive standings tied to Festival Playlist resets

Early Access Begins This Week

Forza Horizon 6 officially launches on:

• Xbox Series X|S
• PC
• PlayStation 5 later this year

Early Access begins on May 15 for Premium Edition owners, while the full launch arrives on May 19.

Players who preorder the game before launch will also receive an exclusive pre-tuned Ferrari J50 bonus car.

Honestly, the amount of progression systems and activities Playground Games is packing into Horizon 6 is starting to look kind of ridiculous — in a very good way.

You can read more about this in their official article here