Forza Horizon 6 Leaks in Full After Unencrypted Steam Preload Goes Live
Microsoft's racing game hit piracy sites after 155GB of unencrypted files appeared on Steam, nine days before launch.
Reports across the web say 155 gigabytes of unencrypted Forza Horizon 6 files showed up on SteamDB over the weekend—four days before early access and nine days before the full launch. The game hit piracy sites shortly after.
The leak traces back to the Forza Horizon 6 preload. Normally, Steam lets players download encrypted files early, then pushes a decryption update when the game officially launches. Here, both the preload and the decryption update went live early.
Microsoft appears to be doing damage control. Reddit's Legal Operations team removed the opening post from one major thread detailing where to pirate the game. Early streams have also popped up, though Microsoft will likely ban anyone broadcasting leaked copies.
This is a massive fumble from Microsoft that could cost both the company and developer Playground. Forza Horizon 6 launches on PC and Xbox—hitting Game Pass day one—but Steam sales matter. The game currently sits as the second top-selling title by revenue on Valve's platform (you can prepurchase it now). Despite the leak, that suggests strong sales ahead. It's also the third most-wishlisted game on Steam.
Microsoft hasn't said when Forza Horizon 6 officially unlocks or whether the leak changes launch plans. The general release hits May 19, with early access starting May 15.