Microsoft and Playground Games are scrambling to contain a major leak of Forza Horizon 6 after an apparent unencrypted Steam build of the game surfaced online more than a week before launch.

Reports across Reddit, SteamDB and gaming forums claim that roughly 155GB of game files were accidentally made accessible through Steam over the weekend, allowing pirates to download and crack the highly anticipated racing title ahead of its official May 19 release.

The leak quickly spread across file-sharing platforms, with screenshots and gameplay videos appearing online within hours.

Players who accessed the build reportedly found the game playable offline, although many noted crashes and missing online functionality.

In a statement posted to X, Playground Games confirmed it was aware of the situation and warned users against accessing the leaked build.

“We are taking strict enforcement action against any individuals found accessing this build including franchise-wide and hardware bans,” the studio said.

According to multiple reports, some users caught running the leaked version have already received Xbox account suspensions and hardware bans with “unban” dates reportedly set as far ahead as December 31, 9999.

The studio also rejected claims the incident was caused by a standard Steam preload error, although it has not explained how the files became publicly accessible.

The leak comes at a critical moment for Xbox, which is banking on Forza Horizon 6 as one of its biggest first-party releases of 2026.

Set in Japan, the game features the largest map in franchise history and more than 550 vehicles at launch.

Premium Edition buyers are still scheduled to receive early access from May 15, ahead of the full global release on May 19.