Summary
Every so often,a game will be delisted from digital storefronts, rendering it impossible for new purchases. Of course,it could still be played physically, though any DLC will also become unavailable for purchase. It’s certainly not particularly rare, but video game delistings do happen,largely due to expired licensing agreements.
Said licensing agreements are whyXbox exclusive Forza Horizon 4will soon be unavailable for purchase. Playground Games' open world racer from 2018 will soon go the way of the wayward son.In a post to the Forza website, Playground cited licensing as the key reason why its title will cease to be available digitally.
Due to licensing and agreements with our partners, Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted from digital platforms (Microsoft Store and Steam) on June 08, 2025. This means the game and its additional content will no longer be available for purchase through online stores.
It’s a big bummer, however, it is par for the course when it comes to Forza. The racer’s many licensed vehicles and collaborations mean its shelf life is not infinite. That said, while gamers have until December 15 to purchase the title and its DLC digitally,it appears that Microsoft is stepping in immediately to make things right.
Xbox Gamers Are Reporting That They Received A Free Code For Forza Horizon 4
As first spotted by Twitter superuser Wario64, and later confirmedvia several users over on Reddit, Microsoft and Playground Games are sending gamers who purchased Forza Horzion 4’s DLC a code for a full game download. The code is being sent via Xbox messages, and it entitles users to a full download of Horizon as a token of appreciation.
This is what Forza’s website had to say:
If you played Forza Horizon 4 through Xbox Game Pass and purchased DLC content for it, worry not: by having an active, full-paid (not discounted) Xbox Game Pass subscription on 6/25 you will be eligible to receive a game token if you have purchased any extra content for Forza Horizon 4 through your Xbox Message Center. Codes will start to be delivered in the following days, please bear in mind that it might take a while before you get your token.
Still, it’s a nice gesture that is often rarely seen in gaming, even if the eligible pool on this go around is small. Other games have been delisted without so much as a whisper, and it’s rare, if ever at all, that anyone who purchased DLC in support of the title is compensated for their time. Delistings can suck for both gamers and developers, but it’s clear, based off this gesture, that they don’t have to be too icky. So here’s hoping others follow suit.
