Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4 is Playground Games' 2018 open-world racing game set in Britain, released Oct 2, 2018, best known for its four changing seasons. It was delisted from sale on Dec 15, 2024, though owners can still play it online, and Forza Horizon 6 brought its seasons to Japan.

Forza Horizon 4 is Playground Games' open-world racing game set in Britain, released Oct 2, 2018 on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, and best known for its four seasons, which changed the climate, the light and how the roads drove. Its Metacritic score is 92 on Xbox One from 88 critics, the joint highest in the series. It came off sale on Dec 15, 2024 "Due to licensing and agreements with our partners," but anyone who owns it can still play it, online included. Forza Horizon 6 carries its seasons over to Japan, and owners of Forza Horizon 4 get a free 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan in the new game.

Quick facts

Released	Oct 2, 2018 (Ultimate Edition early access from Sep 28, 2018)
Platforms	Xbox One, Windows 10 PC; Steam from Mar 9, 2021
Setting	Britain: Edinburgh, the Lake District and the South West
Headline feature	Four seasons
Cars at launch	450 from over 100 makes (The Checkered Flag)
Metacritic	92 Xbox One (88 critics), 88 PC (24 critics), as of Nov 3, 2026
Expansions	Fortune Island (Dec 13, 2018), LEGO Speed Champions (Jun 13, 2019)
Delisted	Dec 15, 2024; still playable for owners
Loyalty car in Forza Horizon 6	2016 Aston Martin Vulcan

Sources: Xbox Wire, Jun 10, 2018; Metacritic; forza.net delisting notice, Jun 25, 2024; Forza Horizon 6 radio post, May 4, 2026; others below.

Britain and the seasons

Forza Horizon 4 set the Horizon Festival in a compressed Britain, mixing Edinburgh, the Lake District and the South West (T3's review, 2018). Its headline feature was the four seasons, which changed the climate, the light and the driving conditions (Bit-tech, 2018). You arrived as a Superstar, Playground recalls: in Forza Horizon 4 you were a Superstar in Britain, a status Forza Horizon 6 takes away. Daily and weekly challenges and Forzathon Live events earned Forzathon Points to spend on Backstage Passes, per Playground's delisting notice.

Reception and players

Metacritic gives it 92 on Xbox One from 88 critics and 88 on PC from 24, with a user score of 8.3 (as of Nov 3, 2026). Microsoft announced 2 million players in its first week, reported by Windows Central in October 2018, and more than 7 million by Jan 18, 2019, reported by GTPlanet. It came to Steam on Mar 9, 2021, the first Forza Horizon game there, and topped Steam's racing games on its debut. After the delisting notice its Steam count passed 70,000 concurrent players in June 2024 (Neowin), a new high.

Expansions

Fortune Island, Dec 13, 2018.
LEGO Speed Champions, Jun 13, 2019, $19.99, also in the Ultimate Edition, Ultimate Add-Ons Bundle and Expansions Bundle.

Forza Horizon 6 keeps the pattern of two paid expansions; its first is due Jan 21, 2027 (Expansion 1).

Why was Forza Horizon 4 delisted?

Playground announced on Jun 25, 2024 that Forza Horizon 4 would reach "end of life" and leave the Microsoft Store, Steam and Xbox Game Pass on Dec 15, 2024, "Due to licensing and agreements with our partners". Its add-ons came off sale at once, on Jun 25, 2024; the Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate editions stayed on sale until Dec 15. The last new Festival Playlist was Series 77, from Jul 25 to Aug 22, 2024; seasons and Forzathon Live events carry on. Owners keep the game, offline and online, and physical copies bought later still work online. Game Pass members who had bought its add-ons got tokens to keep them, which expire from Jun 25, 2026. Forza's year in review in December 2024 said "the game is still completely playable, and the game's servers are still running".

Forza Horizon 4 vs Forza Horizon 6

	Forza Horizon 4	Forza Horizon 6
Released	Oct 2, 2018	May 19, 2026
Setting	Britain	Japan
Your role	A Superstar	A tourist with no fame
Cars at launch	450	More than 550
Seasons	Four	Four, one per week of each Series
Metacritic (Xbox)	92 (88 critics)	90 (83 critics), as of Nov 3, 2026
On sale	Delisted Dec 15, 2024	Yes

Sources: Metacritic: Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 6, as of Nov 3, 2026; The Checkered Flag, Oct 2018; Forza Horizon 6 campaign post, Feb 23, 2026; Forza Horizon 6 Series 1 post, May 15, 2026; Forza Horizon 6 launch post, May 19, 2026.

What Forza Horizon 6 took from Forza Horizon 4

Seasons. Introduced in Forza Horizon 4 and kept in Forza Horizon 5, they return in Japan. Each Festival Playlist Series in Forza Horizon 6 runs four weeks, one Japanese season per week. Art Director Don Arceta: "For Japan, seasonal changes have a dramatic impact on the landscape and playable world." See Seasons and Weather.
The Festival Playlist. The weekly live calendar of Forza Horizon 4 continues as monthly Series updates (Updates and Series).
A loyalty car. Finishing the Tokyo City race with Mei in Forza Horizon 6 gives owners of Forza Horizon 4 a 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan (Free Cars and Loyalty Rewards).

12:14 What it did not take: Forza Horizon 4's Superstar start. Forza Horizon 6 starts you from nothing and climbs seven Wristbands, a structure reviewers compared to the 2012 original.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still play Forza Horizon 4? Yes, if you own it. Forza Horizon 4 left sale on Dec 15, 2024, but owners keep it offline and online, and its servers still run.

Why was Forza Horizon 4 delisted? Playground said Forza Horizon 4 was delisted "Due to licensing and agreements with our partners," and removed it from the Microsoft Store, Steam and Game Pass on Dec 15, 2024.

Can you still buy Forza Horizon 4? Not digitally from Microsoft or Steam since Dec 15, 2024. Physical copies bought later still work online, Playground said.

Is Forza Horizon 6 better than Forza Horizon 4? Critics rated them close: Forza Horizon 4 has a Metacritic 92 on Xbox One and Forza Horizon 6 a 90 on Xbox Series X as of Nov 3, 2026. Forza Horizon 6 is on sale, is coming to PS5 and brings Forza Horizon 4's seasons to Japan.

Do you get anything in Forza Horizon 6 for owning Forza Horizon 4? Yes. Owners of Forza Horizon 4 get a 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan in Forza Horizon 6 after finishing the Tokyo City race with Mei.