- Microsoft made an error when they uploaded Forza 6 files on Steam without encryption.
- The files were accessed by pirates, who have leaked the full racing game online.
- The publisher is now handing out bans of 8,000 years to those who played it.
Microsoft recently made a huge blunder when it uploaded the pre-load files for Forza Horizon 6 on Steam without encryption. This led to pirates cracking the game and releasing the racing game over a week before its eventual release.
The publisher, however, has been quick to take action against and is handing out 8,000-year bans to people who play the cracked version. The players are being suspended for cheating and unauthorized modding.
Why it matters: This is a heavy punishment, but it is quite understandable as Forza 6 is unarguably one of the biggest games Microsoft will publish this year, and they would want to avoid this huge catastrophe.

On Reddit, there have been reports that players are now being handed out bans for playing the cracked version of Forza Horizon 6. The ban is benin deemed under “Cheating/Unallowed modding”, and will last till Dec 31, 9999.
That’s a whopping 8,000 years of ban, and it’s not easy to get rid of either. Microsoft has now adopted a Hardware Identification Blocking Technology, which isn’t a software ban, but rather a hardware ban associated with components.

So, this means that even if you create a new ID or uninstall the game, the ban will still last because of the hardware-level blocking. Unless players replace their motherboards, they won’t be able to get rid of the ban.
What are your thoughts on Microsoft banning players for 8,000 years for playing the cracked Forza Horizon 6? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.


