If you’re gearing up to burn through neon-lit streets when ‘Forza Horizon 6’ drops on May 19th, the soundtrack is packing more bite than usual.
The newly revealed tracklist leans hard into alternative, metalcore and crossover territory, pulling in names like Linkin Park, Turnstile and Spiritbox, for a series that’s always flirted with heavier sounds, this feels like a sharper pivot, less background noise, more actual presence (per The PRP).
Horizon XS goes heavy again
As expected, the Horizon XS radio station is where things get loud, it’s stacked with a mix of legacy acts and newer voices, bridging generations of heavy music without feeling like a nostalgia dump.
Linkin Park show up with ‘Up From The Bottom’, sitting alongside Turnstile’s ‘SOLE’ and Spiritbox’s ‘Keep Sweet’, while Coheed And Cambria bring their prog weight into the mix with ‘Searching For Tomorrow’.
There’s also a return from A Day To Remember with ‘Bad Blood’, reinforcing the game’s ongoing connection to metalcore and pop-punk crossover.
Japan setting shapes the sound
With the game heading to Japan this time around, the inclusion of acts like BABYMETAL and ONE OK ROCK feels less like token representation and more like a deliberate nod to the setting.
Tracks like ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’ and ‘Dystopia’ sit comfortably alongside Western acts, giving the playlist a bit more identity than previous entries.
A mix that actually makes sense
Elsewhere, you’ve got names like Rise Against, Poppy, Pendulum and Ecca Vandal adding texture without dragging things too far off course, it’s not purely heavy, but it’s cohesive.
Full Horizon XS highlights include:
- A Day To Remember – ‘Bad Blood’
- BABYMETAL – ‘ー白炎ー (White Flame)’ / ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’
- Coheed And Cambria – ‘Searching For Tomorrow’
- Linkin Park – ‘Up From The Bottom’
- Spiritbox – ‘Keep Sweet’
- Turnstile – ‘SOLE’
- ONE OK ROCK – ‘Dystopia’ (Japanese Version)
Still part of a long running tradition
Forza’s had ties to heavier music for years, long-time players will remember Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley popping up as a radio DJ back in Forza Horizon 3.
This new instalment just pushes that relationship further into the spotlight, game soundtracks can feel disposable, this one doesn’t. It actually feels curated for people who care about the music, not just something to fill the silence between engine noise.
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