Oops: The sixth game in the popular Forza Horizon racing series has leaked online more than a week before its official launch date. The racer is due out on May 19 for the general public and May 15 for buyers of the premium edition but according to reports, the game has been cracked and is readily available online for PC if you know where to look.

Update (May 11, 4pm): Users report that Microsoft and Playground Games have started issuing bans to players who accessed the leaked Forza Horizon 6 build before launch, with reports ranging from Xbox account suspensions to permanent hardware bans tied to affected PCs. The studio says the leak was not caused by a Steam preload issue, despite widespread claims that unencrypted files briefly became accessible online.

– Playground Games (@WeArePlayground) May 11, 2026

The original report follows below:

According to VGC, it is believed that a developer uploaded a copy of the game to Steam's backend over the weekend but did so without any encryption. This allowed a third party to intercept the files and subsequently crack the game, leading to the current situation.

VGA said they had seen the game available on select websites but didn't download it and thus can't verify its validity. But considering how many screenshots and videos featuring the game have popped up on social media over the past 24 hours, it is likely the real deal.

Forza Horizon 6 is a major release for Microsoft and they are no doubt furious that the game has been made public early. In their early look, VGC said that if the rest of the game looks as good as the small section they have played thus far, it could potentially be one of the year's best games.

"At this stage, everything's on track to give Forza Horizon 5 a run for its money and take over pole position as the best open-world racing game around," the site said.

Microsoft introduced Forza Horizon in 2012 and put out new installments every other year through the first four games. The pace has slowed a bit since 2018, with Forza Horizon 5 having launched in 2021 on most major platforms including the PS5. The new game is set in Japan, the first time the series has used that locale.

The leak takes the momentum out of Microsoft's sails and will certainly result in fewer retail sales. The standard version is priced at $69.99, a deluxe edition is set at $99.99, and a premium version commands $119.99. Higher-priced variants unlock the game a few days early on May 15.