Forza Horizon 6 devs threaten “franchise wide” bans after game leaks ahead of launch

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Playground Games, the studio behind Forza Horizon 6, is taking strong action against those sharing leaked copies of the game online. They’ve warned of bans that could affect players across the entire Forza franchise and even their gaming hardware. This comes after gameplay footage appeared online early, leading to at least one YouTuber receiving a permanent suspension.

Problems began when early, unfinished versions of the game Forza Horizon 6 were unexpectedly released online a few days before its official launch, giving some players access to the game ahead of time.

A YouTuber was permanently banned from a game even before its official release. They shared a 45-minute video of gameplay using footage that wasn’t meant to be public. Screenshots show the ban is set to last until the year 9999, meaning the account is essentially blocked forever.

Playground Games warns players over leaked builds

So, Playground Games found out about that leaked version of the game, and they basically asked everyone to hold off on trying it until the official release. They knew it was out there, and just wanted to make sure people didn’t spoil the experience for themselves!

After the game leak, the studio announced it’s strongly cracking down on players using the unauthorized version. This includes banning them from all games made by the studio, and even blocking the game on their devices.

Hey everyone, we’ve seen reports about a leaked early build of Forza Horizon 6 floating around. Just wanted to clarify it wasn’t due to any problem with pre-loading the game. We’re taking this seriously and are actively taking action against anyone who’s gotten their hands on it, including potential consequences across all our Forza games. We’ll keep you updated as we can.

— Playground Games (@WeArePlayground) May 11, 2026

The moderators of the r/ForzaHorizon subreddit said they were directly told by Playground Games that players using pirated copies of the game risk permanent bans, regardless of whether they share content online.

Forza Horizon 6 is a major upcoming game for Xbox, finally bringing the racing action to Japan. It boasts the biggest map in the series and will launch with over 550 cars. Players who purchase the Premium Edition will be able to start playing on May 15, while the full game releases on May 19.

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2026-05-11 21:18