Playground Games warns Forza Horizon 6 pirates of franchise-wide and hardware permabans

The entirety of Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly been leaked by an unknown individual who accessed an early or test copy, and pirates have been having a field day drifting through the streets of Japan. However, Playground Games isn’t happy and urges fans to stay away from the leaked build or face dire consequences, including potential hardware bans that could affect every Forza game ever made.

The Microsoft-owned studio has publicly acknowledged that Forza Horizon 6 is already circulating online. The game is set to release on Xbox Series S|X, PC, and Game Pass on May 19, 2026, priced at $69.99 for the Standard Edition, $99.99 for the Deluxe Edition, and $119.99 for the Premium Edition, which will allow players to officially play the game four days early, starting May 15. However, it seems pirates have gotten a free “gaffe edition,” enjoying nine days of early access to Forza Horizon 6. 

After the game went viral online, with screenshots and gameplay videos being widely shared, Playground Games didn’t mince words on X:

“We are aware of reports that a build of Forza Horizon 6 has been obtained before its release and can confirm this is not a preload issue.”

Previously, most gamers and industry watchers assumed that the 155GB playable build of Forza Horizon 6 was leaked due to a Steam preload fluke. However, that theory has changed, as Playground Games has revealed that an insider with early access to the build, likely a tester or reviewer, leaked the game.

Playground Games further stated, “We are taking strict enforcement action against any individual found accessing this build, including franchise-wide and hardware bans. We encourage fans to sit tight for the game’s release on May 19.”

Who Leaked Forza Horizon 6?

SteamDB, on the other hand, offered its own perspective on who might have leaked Forza Horizon 6, and all signs point to a reviewer. SteamDB stated on X:

“Forza Horizon 6 was very likely leaked by someone with early access to the build (a reviewer). Around the same time, the file list appeared on SteamDB because someone (possibly someone else) used our token dumper. SteamDB does not display or share keys, nor can it provide downloads.”

Playground Games and Microsoft are slamming the ban hammer pretty hard, as one YouTuber who posted 45 minutes of Forza Horizon 6 gameplay was reportedly hardware-banned for 8,000 years. Hardware bans are tied to your unique device ID, so creating a new account or buying the game on another platform on the same PC might not help.