Playable Forza Horizon 6 leaks 9 days before release date in Steam mishap

It’s already possible to explore the cities and countryside of Japan in Microsoft’s anticipated open-world racing game. Even though the Forza Horizon 6 release date is not until May 19th, a playable build has leaked. In a major blunder, developers appear to have accidentally uploaded unencrypted files to Steam.

What went wrong with this Steam slip-up?

While the early access launch for the PC and Xbox versions is May 15th, Playground Games didn’t plan to wave the green flag this soon. SteamDB shows that a large update surfaced on Valve’s marketplace on May 10th. The long list of files, totaling over 155GB, is the entire contents of the game.

This mistake wouldn’t be so glaring if piracy supporters weren't using a crack to boot the title. Gameplay footage is emerging from the first players to check out the initial car list and enter races.

Given how quickly the leak is spreading, some fans think Microsoft should move up the Forza Horizon 6 release date. Yet, the racing game depends on online connectivity for many modes and features. Multiplayer action is not an option, and seasonal events are unavailable as well. PC users won’t be able to share their liveries or tuning presets either.

It’s unclear if hackers will be able to enable any online functionality. In the case of Forza Horizon 5, piracy groups failed to consistently bypass its server-side authentication. Since there are now ways around the once-impenetrable Denuvo, restricting features could become a more popular response.

Leaks can disrupt last-minute marketing

Xbox promotions have showcased the project’s many cars and scenery in Japan. Regardless, the Steam leak threatens any plans to surprise buyers on the Forza Horizon 6 release date.

For patient followers who have pre-ordered the Premium Edition, early access begins in the wee hours of May 15th. With similar unlock times for the Deluxe and Standard Edition on May 19th, the racing starts at 12AM ET/6 AM CEST.