Forza Horizon 6 has leaked online, and the culprit is none other than the developer itself. Playground Games accidentally uploaded unencrypted game files to Steam, giving the internet a 155 GB gift it was not supposed to have.
The leak surfaced earlier today across social media, Reddit threads, and cracking forums. Players quickly found they could not just browse the files but actually run the game well before its official release date.
How Did This Happen?
It looks like Playground Games pushed a preload build to Steam without encrypting it first. That one mistake was all it took.
According to the r/CrackWatch subreddit, the full game was available for download through third-party sites almost immediately after the files went up. Users were sharing screenshots of the game running within hours, and at least one person posted a video on YouTube showing a couple of minutes of actual gameplay from the leaked build.
The details are still a bit murky beyond what people shared on social media, but the general picture is clear: Forza Horizon 6 was out in the wild, fully playable, ten days before anyone was supposed to touch it.
This Has Happened Before
As surprising as it sounds, this is not a first.
Death Stranding 2 went through something almost identical back in March. Around 113 GB of unencrypted files were uploaded to Steam just days ahead of that game’s launch, giving data miners and curious players an early look they were never meant to have.
The common thread here is the human side of things. Uploading a preload build is a manual process, and manual processes have room for error. It only takes one step being skipped, one checkbox left unchecked, and suddenly a 155 GB game is sitting unprotected on a major platform.
What Was in the Leak?
The Forza Horizon 6 files reportedly contained thousands of assets spread across 155 GB of content. Beyond that, specific details about what exactly players found inside are still coming in.
What is confirmed is that users on Reddit shared footage of the game actually running. That goes beyond just asset files. This was the real thing.
Playground Games Has Not Responded
As of now, Playground Games has not made any public statement about the leak. Outlets have reached out for comment, but there has been no official response yet.
Given how quickly the files spread after going up, damage control at this point seems difficult. The game is already in people’s hands.
Release Date Still on Track
For everyone planning to wait for the official launch, Forza Horizon 6 is still scheduled to release globally on May 19.
If you can hold out a little longer, the proper release is just around the corner. Whether the leak has taken any of the excitement away is another question entirely.
Are you planning to pick up Forza Horizon 6 on launch day? Drop a comment below and let us know. For more gaming news and updates, keep checking back at GamerUrge.
