Forza Horizon 6 Reportedly Leaked Online After Unencrypted Files Appeared on Steam

Details about the upcoming game, Forza Horizon 6, have seemingly been revealed online after unencrypted files were discovered on Steam by Game Empress. You can find more gaming updates at gameempress.com.

Reports are surfacing that some players are already playing a leaked version of Forza Horizon 6, nine days before its official release on May 19th. Apparently, unencrypted game files appeared on Steam, but Microsoft and Playground Games haven’t confirmed the leak, how it happened, or how much of the game was compromised.

What Happened

On May 10, 2026, unprotected files for the game Forza Horizon 6 appeared online through Steam. Activity on Steam first flagged the upload, and news of it quickly spread across the internet.

Insider Gaming says a leak contained about 155GB of game data – a massive collection of thousands of files. It’s unclear if this version is exactly the same as the final game that will be released.

According to reports, the game files weren’t secured with the standard encryption used to protect pre-release versions. As of now, neither Microsoft nor Playground Games has officially responded to or verified these claims.

How a Preload Leak Actually Works

Before a new game officially launches, developers often allow players to download the game files in advance. These files are protected with encryption, meaning the game won’t actually start until the developer gives the go-ahead on launch day.

According to reports, the files for Forza Horizon 6 were available without the usual copy protection. It seems the game only used Steam’s basic DRM, and people online were able to play it soon after the files were discovered.

So, there’s been a bit of a mess with the game – people are saying it might be something to do with how Steam was handling the release or maybe a problem with preloading the files. But honestly, Microsoft and Playground Games haven’t said exactly what happened yet, so it’s all just speculation right now.

What the Leaked Build Can and Cannot Do

Keep in mind that playing a leaked version of the game won’t be the same as the final experience. You probably won’t be able to use online features like races, seasonal events, or sharing customizations until the official early access begins on May 15th. These features are central to the Horizon series and require the official game servers, which aren’t available in leaked versions.

DSO Gaming has discovered that the leaked version of the game can be played solo. Players can drive around Japan, explore the game world, participate in races, and view all the cars. However, it’s missing features that are standard in recent Horizon games, like seasonal events, online multiplayer, and community sharing.

Shortly after initial gameplay details emerged, videos started appearing online. These videos appeared to show players choosing cars, driving on Japanese roads, and freely exploring the game’s open world—all before any official announcement.

Directive 8020 Also Reportedly Leaked at the Same Time

Forza Horizon 6 wasn’t the only game affected by this leak. DSO Gaming also noted that a game called Directive 8020 appeared online around the same time and seemed to be fully playable. Directive 8020 is being made by Supermassive Games and was originally planned for release on May 12, 2026.

This Already Happened With Death Stranding 2 in March

This is the second time this year a major game has had its pre-release files accidentally leaked. Back in March, similar files for Death Stranding 2 were reportedly found on Steam.

Before its release, around 113GB of files for Death Stranding 2 were allegedly uploaded online without being secured with encryption. This incident brings up concerns about the security measures used when preparing and verifying pre-release versions of games on Steam.

Recent issues with Steam preloads – two incidents in just two months – are making people wonder if the current system can handle major game launches without problems.

The DRM Question This Reopens

This situation brings up concerns about security measures. According to TheGamer, the latest Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t use Denuvo, and Steam’s store page doesn’t mention it either. Without extra protection beyond Steam’s usual DRM, the game became available online very quickly after the files were released.

It’s widely known that Denuvo, a PC anti-piracy technology, can slow down game performance. This has led to negative reactions from players, and many game companies have stopped using it due to this feedback. However, they’ve found that Steam’s basic DRM isn’t very effective at preventing piracy once someone gains access to the game’s files.

A potentially more significant point is how games can control access to features on their servers. Even if attempts to protect game files locally don’t work, online games can still lock features by verifying access through their servers. This method – controlling what players can do by checking with the game server instead of just encrypting files – might become increasingly popular for big game releases in the future.

What It Means for Sales

Data from Alinea Analytics, as reported by PC Gamer, indicates that Forza Horizon 6 had over 500,000 preorders on Steam by mid-April, before details about the game were leaked online. This shows a lot of people were excited to buy the game, but it’s still unclear if the leak will significantly impact overall sales numbers.

The bigger concern is the potential marketing impact. If gameplay videos or promotional materials leak before the game is officially released, it could lessen the excitement surrounding key announcements about the game’s location, available cars, and online capabilities.

The Marketing Damage

Forza Horizon 6 is being advertised with a focus on its Japan location, the cars available, and the beautiful roads you can drive on. However, an early, playable version of the game being released now could spoil some of the surprises the developers had planned for players who access it during the initial access period and launch week – when the game gets the most attention and first impressions are formed.

Japan was the most-requested location for a Forza Horizon game, and the developers at Playground Games created a lot of excitement about their version of Tokyo and the Japanese countryside. However, footage of the game has unexpectedly appeared online before its official reveal. This leak, reportedly caused by an error with Steam’s preloading system, has spoiled some of the planned announcements of cars, events, and locations that were meant to build hype during the game’s early access period.

Microsoft and Playground Games Have Not Responded

As of now, Microsoft and Playground Games haven’t made any official statements about what’s been reported.

It’s unclear if Microsoft will release an update to fix this issue. Even if they do, an update won’t automatically fix files that have already been downloaded.

What Comes Next

The release date for Forza Horizon 6 remains May 19, 2026, for PC and Xbox Series X/S. Players who purchase the Premium Edition will be able to start playing on May 15. A version for PlayStation 5 is also planned for release later in 2026. If you’re eager to prepare, we’ve published a complete list of all 57 achievements and how to earn 1000 Gamerscore.

The online parts of Forza Horizon 6 – like seasonal events, playing with others, sharing car designs, and custom performance settings – need Microsoft to officially unlock them before anyone can use them. For many players, these online features are the core of the game, and playing offline in Japan only offers a small taste of the full experience.

Honestly, this latest leak is making me think about how games are actually made and prepped for release. It’s happened twice now in just two months with big titles, and it seems like the same thing caused both. It’s not just about someone messing up, is it? It feels like there’s a real problem with how they get these huge games ready for Steam, and whether the whole system is secure enough for these massive launches. They really need to look at the process itself.

Neither Microsoft nor Valve has addressed that question yet.

Game Empress will update this article as Microsoft and Playground Games respond.

Information for this report comes from multiple sources including Insider Gaming, Notebookcheck, Neowin, MP1st, Twisted Voxel, DSO Gaming, TheGamer (via OpenCritic), PC Gamer (via Alinea Analytics), GameGPU, EGW News, PartOfStyle, and reports from the Steam tracking community. Data was collected between May 10th and May 11th, 2026.

2026-05-11 03:59