Xbox sends free Forza Horizon 4 copies to Xbox Game Pass subscribers

Christmas arrived early for many lucky Forza Horizon 4 fans. Xbox surprised some gamers by giving them free copies of the game. The reason? The game will soon be removed from the Microsoft Store and Steam.

Forza Horizon 4, made by Playground Games and loved by many since it came out in 2018, is ready to leave the Xbox Game Pass soon. This means you won’t be able to buy this game from digital stores any longer because it has reached its “end of life” status, mainly due to licensing agreements for music and cars used in the game coming up for renewal.

But if you’ve bought some fancy DLC while playing Forza Horizon 4 on Xbox Game Pass—big news! Xbox wants to give a high five with a free Standard Edition copy!

According to the official blog post, if you had a fully paid Xbox Game Pass subscription on June 25 and bought any DLC for the game, you could get a free copy of Conan Exiles. You should watch your Xbox Message Center now because they give out these copies in waves. If you have not got yours yet, do not worry. It might just be a matter of time.

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.

Forza

When people buy DLCs, they typically are fans of the game. Giving them Forza Horizon 4 helps in two ways: First, it avoids potential negative reactions from these purchasers because they will still have something new to play even if the game gets delisted.

Second and more importantly – this gift ensures that those who have invested their money into a title can continue enjoying it after its removal; this is a smart move from Xbox as it shows appreciation for players’ loyalty and financial support. But don’t expect this to become a regular practice for all games leaving the service soon.

People who get their free Forza Horizon 4 copy can still play the game, including its multiplayer feature, even when officially removed from the store on December 15th, 2024. One thing to keep in mind: The Festival playlist will end with Series 77 on August 22nd, and this might make some Xbox achievements more difficult to earn.

Unexpectedly, the game’s upcoming removal from the store and a big price reduction have caused renewed attention on Steam. This has pushed Forza Horizon 4 to rise in sales rankings and reach a fresh high for several players simultaneously. This situation is positive and negative for game fans because they see it becoming popular again while also getting ready to leave soon.

So, if you can get a free Forza Horizon 4 copy and have not checked your Xbox messages yet, what is stopping you?