Nearly 10 days before the Forza Horizon 6 release date, a list of unencrypted files surfaced on SteamDB. Piracy groups then began sharing a cracked version of the racing game. Many fans assumed a developer was culpable for the upload. However, that explanation is now in doubt. The Microsoft-owned Playground Games provided clarification on social media. It acknowledged the leaked build, but claimed it was not a result of a “pre-load issue”. Some posters accused the studio of deflecting blame. The pirated download spreading immediately after the file list appeared seemed suspect.