In another setback for game preservation, Forza Horizon 4, the open-world racing game from Playground Games, is set to be pulled from digital storefronts. The Microsoft-owned studio announced on Tuesday that the game will no longer be available for purchase on Steam and the Microsoft Store as of December 15, 2024. The move comes just six years after the release of Forza Horizon 4 in October 2018.
Developer Playground Games, part of Xbox Game Studios, said the game is being removed from online stores due to licensing and partner agreements. From December 15, players will not be able to purchase all versions of the game – Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate – and its additional content digitally.
Forza Horizon 4 will be removed from Steam, Microsoft Store, Game Pass
In addition to Steam and the Microsoft Store, Forza Horizon 4 will also be removed from Xbox Game Pass. Players who currently have access to the racing game through Game Pass will no longer be able to play the game once its digital access is removed.
However, players who already own the game and its additional content, either digitally or through a physical copy, will be able to download or install and access all offline, online and multiplayer features. Playground Games has confirmed that the game’s servers will remain online even after the removal.
While the main game will be removed from storefronts later this year, its DLC has already met its fate. All downloadable content has been removed from online stores since June 25th. Players who already have the game’s DLC can download the content and play it as normal. Those who have accessed Forza Horizon 4 through Xbox Game Pass and purchased any DLC in the past will receive a free game token for Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition starting June 25th. However, this only applies to players who have an active full Game Pass subscription on June 25. These Game Tokens will be sent via the Xbox Message Center and, if not used, will expire on June 25, 2026.
Changes to the Forza Horizon Festival Playlist
Ahead of the game’s delisting, Playground also makes a few changes to the online festival’s playlist. Forza Horizon 4’s final series, Series 77, which includes the final festival playlist for the game, will run from July 25th to August 22nd, after which the playlist screen will be unavailable.
Forza Horizon 4 is currently available on Steam, Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass. Playground Games is also offering a discount on the game, with a sale starting on the Xbox Store on July 14th. On Steam, the standard edition of the game is available for a discounted price of Rs. 259 for a limited time.
