The sadly inevitable ‘end of life’ status is coming to the UK-based racing game, as Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted on December 15th 2024 from digital stores, and removed from Game Pass.
All DLC has already been removed from sale from June 25th, including Add Ons, Car Packs, and both the Fortune Island and LEGO Speed Champions Expansion Packs. You’ll still be able to buy the standard, deluxe and ultimate versions of the game itself until December, when it will vanish from Steam, the Microsoft Store and Game Pass, where you can currently play it for free.
Released in 2018, Forza Horizon 4 was developed by Playground Games, like all the of the series so far, including current sequel Forza Horizon 5 from 2021. Set in a fictionalisted version of the UK, areas represented included Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District and the Cotswolds, with dynamic weather, and changing seasons.
As with all of the Forza titles which have been delisted, the reason given is that licensing and partnership agreements have ended. Forza Horizon 4 did last for six years, which is longer than the previous games in the series, which were all delisted after four years. Probably due to the fact it was the most popular and critically-acclaimed release in the Horizon franchise.
You’ll still be able to play Forza Horizon 4 online and offline after December 15th, 2024. But the final Festival Playlist will run from July 25th until August 22nd, and all previous Playlist-exclusive cars will then be available via Backstage Passes, which you’ll still be able to earn via daily and weekly challenges.
What does this mean for Game Pass players?
If you’ve been playing Forza Horizon 4 via Game Pass and you’ve bought DLC for the game, you should receive a game token for Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition for free from June 25th, 2024, which will last until June 25th, 2026. The condition is that you’ll need to have an active, full-paid Xbox Game Pass subscription on June 25th to qualify.
What about achievements?
The ending of the Festival Playlist means it’s the last opportunity to earn any specifically linked achievements, including:
- A Creature of Habit: 15g – Complete all Seasonal Championships in a Festival Playlist Series.
- Stunt Puller: 15g – Complete all Seasonal PR Stunts in a Festival Playlist Series.
- Cashing In: 20g – Earn 1 Season Completion Bonus.
- Perfectionist 30g – Earn all 8 Season Completion Bonuses in the same Series.
- Encore? 50g – Complete all activities in a single Festival Playlist Series.
So if you’re a completionist when it comes to achievements, make sure you finish off everything Festival-related between July 25th and August 22nd.
Why buy the Ultimate Edition now?
In addition to a current sale on Steam with prices reduced by 80% on the base game, there will also be a sale on the Xbox Store from July 14th, 2024. With the DLC already unavailable, you’ll need the Ultimate Edition to experience Fortune Island and Lego Speed Champions.
Saying goodbye to the British Forza Horizon
While delisting games is inevitable due to licensing deals, and at least the Forza series run on a fairly predictable schedule with a reasonable amount of notice when the end is near, the delisting of Forza Horizon 4 hits particularly hard as someone from the UK.
It felt like a real breath of fresh air to be able to race in a familiar location, which hadn’t really happened since the London circuits in Project Gotham Racing in the early 2000s. And Britain felt a lot different to the typically sunny settings of Colorado (Forza Horizon), Southern France and Northern Italy (Forza Horizon 2), Australia (Forza Horizon 3), and even Mexico (Forza Horizon 5). Driving on the left side of the road is relatively rare in videogames, and the motoring history of the UK ties in perfectly with cruising in a British classic through villages. Along with the Top Gear challenges, etc.
Other options do exist for PC gamers, with the variety of UK-based mods available for Assetto Corsa. And obviously gamers in other countries should also get to experience the joy of driving around locations they recognise. But hopefully we’ll see a future racing game set itself in Great Britain to share the fun of hooning around narrow backroads in a hot hatchback, or cruising through a quaint village in an open-topped classic sports car.
Catch up on all our previous Forza Horizon 4 news and updates right here. Or check out the complete list of all cars available in the game with our full Forza Horizon 4 car list.
You can find Forza Horizon 4 on the Microsoft Store for both Xbox One and PC, or for the PC via Steam. Alternatively, you can buy copies from Game, Amazon or eBay.
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