In Forza Horizon 6, the career mode introduces a structured progression system called the Festival Wristbands. Unlike previous games where you could drive almost any car immediately, this system gates content so you earn access to higher-performance vehicles, tougher events, and unique challenges as you progress.
How the Wristband Career Works
The Gameplay Loop:
Players earn points by competing in Festival races, completing PR stunts, and chaining together skill bonuses. Accumulating enough points lets you reach new thresholds that unlock more events and challenges.
The Progression Gate:
Reaching a point threshold triggers a Showcase Event (like racing a giant Gundam/mech) or a Horizon Rush obstacle challenge. Completing this event officially awards the next wristband.
Unlocking the Next Tier:
Each wristband opens up faster vehicles, advanced race types, and new areas of Japan. Essentially, your wristband color shows your rank in the festival career.
The 7 Wristband Tiers Explained
| 1 | Yellow | Rookie / Starter | Low-performance B-Class cars | Complete the introductory Horizon Invitational and qualifiers. Enter the main festival grid. |
| 2 | Green | Rookie | Low-to-mid-tier sports cars | Unlock additional regional race layouts and basic street tracks. |
| 3 | Blue | Intermediate | Mid-performance A-Class cars | Open advanced PR stunts and high-speed festival events across Japan. |
| 4 | Pink | Intermediate | Higher mid-tier sports cars | Access mid-game cross-country showcases and curated car themes. |
| 5 | Orange | Advanced | Entry-level supercars (S1-Class) | Late-game high-speed circuits and challenging multi-discipline races. |
| 6 | Purple | Elite | Top-tier Supercars & Hypercars (S2-Class) | Hypercar Gate: required for elite cars in official Festival events. |
| 7 | Gold | Horizon Legend | Ultimate Performance Class (R-Class / Unlimited) | Unlock Legend Island, featuring private tracks and the longest Goliath Race in Horizon history. |
Note: While certain cars are gated in Festival races, you can freely drive any car you own across the open world for exploration and casual racing.
Dual Progression: Discover Japan Alternative
The Wristband system manages your structured festival career, but Forza Horizon 6 also tracks Discover Japan, an open-world exploration path.
Stamp Collection:
Earn Stamps by completing activities like car customization, photography, mascot hunts, landmark discoveries, and food-delivery side missions.
Unlocks:
- Barn Find Rumors
- Player housing
- Highly customizable ancestral Estates
Unrestricted Racing:
Discover Japan includes Touge Battles and night-time street races. This acts as a legal loophole to race high-performance cars you haven’t unlocked yet in the main Festival Wristband career.
Pro Tips for Wristband Progression
- Stack Skill Chains: Combine drifts, near-misses, and jumps to rack up points faster.
- Complete PR Stunts Early: Some PR Stunts reward more points than standard races.
- Plan Car Upgrades: Save higher-class cars for tiers where they are officially allowed to maximize performance.
- Explore in Parallel: Use Discover Japan to earn Stamps and unlock hidden content while progressing your wristbands.
By balancing Festival events with open-world exploration, you can efficiently climb through all 7 wristband tiers and experience the full range of Japan’s high-speed racing challenges in Forza Horizon 6.
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