Sadly, we must say goodbye to Forza Horizon 4 from Playground Games in December. The game will be delisted from digital stores on December 15, so if you don't already own a copy of the well-received racing game, you might want to snag a copy. Once they're gone, they're gone for good.
The developer said it must pull the game due to "licensing and agreements with our partners." Racing games are a complicated mess of contracts and agreements that allow developers to add officially licensed cars. If those deals expire, the game developer and publisher are no longer entitled to make money off the vehicle's likeness. As if the car agreements weren't complicated enough, there are also the soundtracks featured in racing games, typically riddled with licensed music.
While this is unfortunate news for game preservationists, who already dislike the fickle nature of digital game stores, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Forza Horizon 3 was delisted in 2020 due to similar licensing issues.
Even though the game is ending its run, Playground Games announced that its final series will begin on July 25 and end on August 22. After that, players won't be able to access the playlist screen. However, the Forza Events screen will still work, and the company will launch a selection of daily and weekly challenges to earn Forzathon Points.
Forza Horizon 4's DLC is being delisted from stores starting today. You can only buy the game's Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate versions between now and December 15. Once you own it, you can continue to play and re-download it. All online and multiplayer features will continue to work, as is still the case with Forza Horizon 3. If you prefer physical copies of your games, those will keep working, too.
Despite being over six years old, Forza Horizon 4 is still a solid game. If you haven't tried it yet, it's worth purchasing while you still can, as it holds up pretty well. If you worry about preserving games, it could be worth owning a copy so you can play it even after it's no longer available.
