How to Beat a Rival’s Ghost in Forza Horizon 6 – Complete Guide

TL;DR

• Go to the Online tab in the main menu and select Rivals → Horizon Rivals.
• Choose an event type, pick a race, and scroll to the bottom of the leaderboard to find the slowest ghost.
• Select that ghost, pick your car, and complete a clean lap to beat their time.
• No crashes, no rewinds – a flagged lap will not count even if you finish faster.
• You can also start Rivals from the race button on the road rather than through the Online menu.
• Reward for challenge completion: 5,000 Credits and 1 Festival Playlist point.

Beating a rival’s ghost in Forza Horizon 6 sounds simple on paper but it trips up a lot of players. Whether you are trying to complete a daily challenge like Ghostbuster or Spirited Away, or just want to understand how the Rivals system works, this guide covers everything – how to access the mode, how to pick the easiest ghost to beat, and exactly why the challenge might not be registering even after you win.

What Is Rivals Mode in Forza Horizon 6?

Rivals mode in Forza Horizon 6 functions like a multiplayer race, but instead of live opponents, you compete against a ghost car. This ghost car represents another player’s previous performance and cannot be collided with – you will simply pass through it. Essentially, you are racing against a recording of another player’s lap to beat their best time.

Think of it as a time trial against a phantom version of another player’s best run. You see the ghost car moving ahead of or behind you on track, and your goal is simply to cross the finish line before their time expires. You do not need to be online in a live session – the ghost runs from saved data.

When a new rival is recommended, you will receive an in-game message stating “New Rival Recommendation.” But you can also set up your own Rivals race at any time through the Online menu, which is how most daily challenges work.

Why Beat a Rival’s Ghost? Daily Challenge Overview

As part of the Festival Playlist element of Forza Horizon 6, which constantly gives you new challenges to grind out and rewards to unlock for completing them, you may find yourself having to beat a rivals ghost. This essentially requires you to beat their best time on a particular race or circuit.

Rival ghost challenges appear under different names depending on the season – Ghostbuster, Spirited Away, and similar titles. Each challenge specifies a car requirement (such as any 1980s car or any Japanese car) but the core mechanic is always the same. Beat a ghost, complete the challenge, earn the reward.

Completing it rewards you with 5,000 credits and 1 Playlist point toward your Summer Festival total.

To stay across all active daily and weekly challenges, our seasonal events and Festival Playlist guide is the best place to check what is currently live.

How to Access Rivals Mode in Forza Horizon 6

There are two ways to start a Rivals race:

Method 1 – Through the Online Menu

To set up a race against a rivals ghost, open up the menus and go to the “Online” tab. Here, select “Rivals” and then “Horizon Rivals.” You will then need to select the type of event and the specific race that you want to compete in, as well as the vehicle class. Once this is done, the game will search for and provide a rival for you to race against.

Once you confirm your choice, select the car you want to use and you will be loaded into the rivals race.

Method 2 – From the Race Button on the Road

You do not have to start the race through the “Rivals” menu. You can also start through the race button on the road, then click “Rivals” and take the required car. This method works just as well and some players find it more convenient when they are already near a circuit.

The Key Strategy – Pick the Slowest Ghost

Here is the most important thing most players do not know when they first attempt this challenge.

The biggest hurdle players face is not the driving itself, but the game’s lack of explanation around how Rivals matchmaking works. You do not need to win an entire Rivals event or climb to the top of the leaderboard. You only need to beat a single ghost’s lap time in an eligible vehicle. Because you can manually select which rival to challenge, you can effectively choose your own difficulty by picking a rival who barely moved during their lap.

In other words, instead of accepting whatever ghost the game assigns you, scroll all the way to the bottom of the leaderboard and find the player with the highest (slowest) lap time. That is your target.

Hold down on the controller or drag the PC scroll bar to the very bottom of the leaderboard. Pick a rival with a massive lap time (like 9 or 10 minutes) and confirm the selection. Start the event and complete a single lap without hitting walls to beat the ghost’s time.

Some of these bottom-of-the-leaderboard ghosts are so slow they appear to barely move. When I did it, the game seemed to give me an incredibly slow rival who took 27 minutes to complete a race, whereas it took me all of 3 minutes to beat. As long as you drive the lap cleanly, you will finish ahead of them with ease.

How to Beat a Rival’s Ghost – Step by Step

Step 1 – Get the Right Car

Check the daily challenge requirements first. If it asks for a 1980s car, you need something from that decade. If it asks for a Japanese car, check your garage for eligible models. If you do not own the right type, head to the Autoshow and buy an eligible vehicle before starting.

For finding a fast or capable car quickly, see our best cars by class guide or our best starter cars to buy first.

Step 2 – Open the Online Tab and Go to Horizon Rivals

Open the main menu, navigate to the Online tab, and select Rivals, then Horizon Rivals. Choose your event type and the specific circuit or route you want to race.

Step 3 – Scroll to the Bottom of the Leaderboard

When the leaderboard appears, do not just accept the top rival. Scroll all the way down to find the slowest ghost available. Pick that one. You are not competing for glory here – you just need to cross the line first.

Step 4 – Select Your Eligible Car

Confirm your ghost choice and select a car that meets the challenge’s requirements. Press the sort button on Xbox (X) and choose year to organise your garage chronologically if you are looking for a car from a specific decade.

Step 5 – Drive a Clean Lap

This is the most critical step and the one that causes most failed attempts.

It needs to be a clean lap. As soon as your lap gets flagged, you “lose” no matter how fast you are. So no collisions or rewinds.

Focus on smooth driving. Stay on the track, avoid walls, and do not use the rewind feature. Because the ghost you have selected is extremely slow, there is no pressure to push hard – just drive a steady, clean lap and cross the line.

Step 6 – Complete the Lap and Wait for Confirmation

After crossing the finish line, do not exit immediately. The most critical part of the registration process happens after you cross the line. Let the results screen fully load before returning to free roam. The daily challenge notification appears once you are back in the open world.

Clean Lap Rules – What Counts and What Doesn’t

The clean lap requirement catches out a lot of players. Here is what you need to know:

• Hitting walls: flags your lap as dirty. Even a minor scrape can invalidate it.
• Using rewind: flags your lap immediately. Do not touch the rewind button at all.
• Going off track: can flag your lap depending on how far off you go.
• Crashing into the ghost: the ghost is intangible – you pass straight through it. This cannot flag your lap.

Make sure that you have rival ghosts enabled in the online settings. Check that your car and the race type meet the requirements of the challenge. Make sure that it is a “clean lap” – no crashing into things or going off the track.

One useful detail from the community: once you get your first clean lap on a track, every rival thereafter on that track will be clean. So if you are doing multiple Rivals runs at the same circuit, your second run onwards should be easier to keep clean.

Why Is the Challenge Not Completing Even After You Win?

This is the most common frustration with rival ghost challenges in FH6. Here are the reasons it might not be registering:

• Dirty lap: If you hit a wall, used a rewind, or went off track at any point, the lap is flagged and the challenge will not complete no matter how fast you finished.
• Wrong car: The car must match the challenge specification exactly. A 1990s car will not satisfy a 1980s requirement. A non-Japanese car will not work for a Japanese car challenge. Double-check your garage before heading out.
• Quitting before results load: Back out too quickly and the game may not register the completion. Let the screen fully cycle through.
• Rival ghosts disabled in settings: Make sure that you have rival ghosts enabled in the online settings.
• Known bugs: Some users are finding that the daily challenges are quite buggy. Some may all be fine one week, only for one of them the following week not to unlock. If you have tried everything and it still will not complete, it may be a server-side issue. Check for a patch or restart the game.

If you are running into persistent technical problems in FH6, check our error code FHE01 fix guide for known technical issues and solutions.

Can You Start Rivals From the Road Instead of the Online Menu?

Yes. You do not have to start through the “Rivals” menu. You can complete it through the race button on the road, then click “Rivals” and take the required car. Multiple players in the FH6 community have confirmed this method works for daily challenge completion. If the Online menu route is not working for you, try triggering the Rivals race directly from a circuit on the map instead.

Tips for Beating Rivals Ghosts Faster

• Always scroll to the bottom of the leaderboard and pick the slowest ghost. It is the fastest way to guarantee a win.
• Pick a short circuit over a long one to finish faster. A five-lap track takes much longer than a single-lap sprint.
• Avoid using rewind entirely during the run – even accidentally hitting it can flag the lap.
• Drive conservatively rather than pushing for a fast time. You only need to beat the ghost, not set a world record.
• Wait on the results screen before exiting – returning to free roam too quickly may drop the completion.
• If one event is not registering, try a different circuit of the same type. Community reports suggest some tracks are more reliable for challenge registration than others.

Rivals Mode Beyond Daily Challenges

Rivals mode is useful for more than just knocking off daily challenges. Use Rivals mode to practise specific tracks and improve your personal best lap times. The ghost gives you a visual reference on track that helps you spot where you are losing or gaining time compared to another driver.

It is also a solid way to earn Credits. Focus on high-reward events. Some Rivals events offer higher credit payouts than others. These events are typically more challenging, but they also give you the most potential for rewards.

If you want to push for faster lap times and get the most out of your car in Rivals, our FH6 tuning guide and mechanical balance system guide are the best places to start dialling in your setup.

Related Challenges and Activities to Complete

If you are grinding daily challenges alongside your Rivals run, here are some other guides worth checking out on the same session:

• Short Circuit daily challenge – win the Eclectic Domestics Festival Event at Shimanoyama Circuit
• Kitayama Big Daisugi location – 100 Discover Japan Points from a photo in the Ito region
• Temple of Zoom challenge – Temple of Nachi Falls photo guide
• Seabed Road – 25 Discover Japan Points and a hidden XP board
• PR Stunts guide – quick and easy playlist points
• Horizon Rush events – What a Rush guide
• AstroToy photo challenge guide
• The Trial – Series 2 guide
• Airfield Takeoff Danger Sign – Summer playlist
• Horizon Play multiplayer progression and ranking guide

Earning More Credits Through Rivals and Beyond

The 5,000 Credit reward from each rivals daily challenge adds up over time, but there are faster ways to stack Credits if you need them. Our how to earn Credits fast guide covers the best methods, from Goliath races to Wheelspins. For maximising XP gain alongside credits, our how to get XP and level up fast guide is the complement.

And if you want to know the best cars to run in Rivals events across different classes, see our guides for best S1 class cars, best S2 class cars, and best X class cars.

Final Tips for Beating a Rival’s Ghost

• Access Rivals from the Online → Rivals → Horizon Rivals path in the main menu.
• Always scroll to the bottom of the leaderboard and pick the ghost with the highest lap time.
• Make sure your car meets the challenge requirement before heading in.
• Drive a clean lap – no walls, no rewinds, no cutting corners aggressively.
• Wait through the results screen before returning to free roam.
• If it still will not register, try starting Rivals from the race button on the circuit itself rather than the Online menu.

Rivals mode in FH6 is one of those features that rewards the players who understand how it works. Once you know you can pick your own ghost and scroll to the easiest possible target, what sounds like a driving skill test becomes a two-minute formality. Master this and every rivals-based daily challenge in the game becomes an easy pickup.

Play Forza Horizon 6 on the official Forza site, get it on Steam, on PlayStation, or on Xbox.