As of Monday, footage from Forza Horizon 6 can be seen in multiple YouTube videos and livestreams.
In March, an unencrypted copy of Death Stranding 2 was similarly uploaded to Steam days before the game’s PC release, leading almost immediately to its availability on piracy sites. But Death Stranding 2 had already been available for over a year on the PlayStation 5 when that leak happened, somewhat blunting its overall impact.
Back in 2018, the Denuvo copy protection for Hitman 2 was broken days before the game’s official launch date, thanks to the quick work of crackers working on an early access version made available to preorder customers.
The unprotected early upload could be a costly mistake for Microsoft, which is set to officially release Forza Horizon 6 on May 19 (or May 15 for those who pre-purchased the $120 Premium Edition). A 2024 study of Denuvo protection estimated that when a cracked version of a game is available within the first week of its release, it results an average 20 percent reduction in total revenue. While that study didn’t examine the impact of pre-release cracks, the potential economic impact is likely even higher.