Forza Horizon 6 Breaks a Steam Record Before Launch and Signals a New Normal for AAA Prices

Forza Horizon 6 set a new all-time Steam concurrent player record for the entire Forza Horizon series before its standard edition even went on sale. According to Jeux d'initiés, approximately 1.2 million players paid $119.99 for the Premium Edition, generating an estimated $140 million in revenue before launch day. Together, those numbers make a strong case that the $120 AAA game has moved from a speculative future concern to a present-day reality.

The Steam Numbers

Forza Horizon 6 opened its Premium Edition early access window on May 15, four days ahead of the standard release. During that window, the game peaked at 178,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB. That figure more than doubles the all-time peak of Forza Horizon 5, which reached roughly 81,000 concurrent players at its November 2021 launch. Forza Horizon 4 topped out at just under 76,000.

Furthermore, the game secured second place in the Steam bestseller charts during that early window. Additionally, every player counted in those early access peak figures had paid $119.99. The standard edition and Game Pass access did not go live until May 19, so no free-tier players contributed to those initial numbers.

$140 Million Before Full Launch

A screenshot shared on DayOne and reported by Jeux d'initiés suggests nearly 1.2 million players purchased the Premium Edition. At $119.99 per copy, that puts estimated revenue at or above $140 million. Notably, that figure covers only the most expensive edition. It excludes standard edition sales, Game Pass subscription revenue, and any income from PlayStation 5 players.

The Premium Edition bundles several extras alongside early access. Specifically, buyers receive:

Four days of early access, starting May 15 instead of May 19
Two expansion passes for future DLC content
A Car Pass covering additional vehicles released over time
VIP Membership with exclusive in-game bonuses and rewards

In other words, the early access window itself is not the only value on offer. However, for a significant portion of buyers, playing four days before friends and the wider community appears to be the primary motivation.

A 91 Metascore Removes the Risk

One key factor behind that level of spending is critical reception. Forza Horizon 6 holds a Metascore of 91 on Metacritic based on 71 critic reviews for the Xbox Series X version, with 97 percent of those reviews landing as positive. The PC version holds an 89. MondoXbox and TheXboxHub both awarded perfect scores, calling it a masterpiece and praising Playground Games for elevating an already strong formula.

Consequently, buyers who spent $120 before launch had strong critical evidence the game would deliver. That reduces the financial risk that typically makes high-priced purchases harder to justify. A game with a weak or unreviewed launch would face significantly more resistance at the same price point.

The Advanced Access Model and Why It Works

The Advanced Access pricing model has been in use across the industry for several years. Publishers set a premium tier significantly above the standard price and offer early access as the headline reward. The psychological engine behind it combines FOMO, the desire to participate in launch-day discussions, and the perception of exclusivity.

Moreover, the model works particularly well when paired with a subscription service. Forza Horizon 6 is available at no extra cost to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers from May 19 onward. Despite that free option, over a million players chose to pay $120 anyway, specifically to gain four days of access. That decision tells publishers that the FOMO premium survives even when a zero-cost alternative exists.

What This Means for GTA 6 and the Wider Market

The Forza Horizon 6 numbers arrive during an active industry debate about where AAA game prices are heading. Rockstar Games has not announced official pricing for GTA 6, but speculation about a price above $70 has circulated for months. Each time a major title demonstrates that players will spend significantly more, that speculation gains more credibility.

Additionally, publishers monitor each other’s sales data closely. A result of $140 million in premium-tier revenue before launch day is exactly the kind of data point that shapes how other studios structure their own edition tiers going forward. As a result, the success of Forza Horizon 6’s Premium Edition will likely accelerate the adoption of similar models across the AAA market, not slow it down.

Edition Pricing at a Glance

Edition	Prix	Key Inclusions
Standard Edition	$69.99	Base game, available May 19
Premium Edition	$119.99	Base game, 4-day early access, two expansion passes, Car Pass, VIP Membership
Premium Upgrade (Game Pass add-on)	$59.99	4-day early access, two expansion passes, Car Pass, VIP Membership (no base game)

Bottom Line

Forza Horizon 6 has handed publishers a clear proof of concept. Over a million players paid $120 for a game that was simultaneously available for free on Game Pass, and the result was a series Steam record and an estimated $140 million in pre-launch revenue. The $120 AAA game is no longer a theoretical line publishers are nervous about crossing. Forza Horizon 6 crossed it, and the numbers showed that a strong enough game with a strong enough Metascore can make players pay almost any price to be first.