2026 has a new frontrunner for Game of the Year, and it’s not particularly close. Up until this point in 2026, we’ve already seen a handful of stellar games released. Titles like Resident Evil Requiem, Pokemon Pokopia, Pragmata, Saros, and Mewgenics have come about and have received high marks from players and critics alike. Now, a new game that is set to launch at the end of this week has bested all of these previous releases and has immediately become the top-rated game of 2026 so far.
As of today, reviews for Xbox’s Forza Horizon 6 have gone live, and in short, they’re excellent. The latest entry in the Playground Games-developed racing series currently boasts a 92/100 aggregate review score on website Metacritic, which is the highest rating any game has received so far this year. In fact, no other game in 2026 has even reached the 90/100 threshold on Metacritic, with the closest titles to this milestone being Pokemon Pokopia and Resident Evil Requiem, each of which settled at an 89/100 average.
Because of these high reviews, it seems apparent that Forza Horizon 6 is now in the driver’s seat (pun intended) to win Game of the Year. That being said, 2026 isn’t even halfway over, and there are still countless games set to release in the months ahead. Marvel’s Wolverine, 007 First Light, Gears of War: E-Day, and Grand Theft Auto 6 are just a handful of the biggest games on the horizon that seem likely to generate high review scores of their own. Whether or not any of these games will end up topping the average score that Forza Horizon 6 has received remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Xbox’s newest racing title is going to remain in the GOTY discussion for the foreseeable future.
If you’re looking to play Forza Horizon 6 for yourself, the game is set to launch next week on May 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PC platforms. Early access to FH6 will then begin tomorrow, May 15th, for those who opt to purchase the Premium Edition of the game.
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