WARNING: Forza Horizon 5's support is a fully automated wall. How Turn 10 hands out permanent PC "Device Bans" and blatantly ignores EU Law
I’m writing this as a warning to anyone playing or considering buying Forza Horizon 5 on PC. If you ever get hit by a false positive from their automated anti-cheat, your game is gone, your PC’s Hardware ID is permanently blacklisted, and there is absolutely zero human support to help you.
I legally bought the game on Steam. After barely 4 hours of total playtime, I was slapped with a permanent "Account & Device Ban". I didn't cheat, I didn't use mods. But this post isn't just about the false positive – it’s about the dystopian nightmare that is the "Forza Safety Team" appeal process.
Here is exactly how they handle paying customers:
1. The "Schrödinger’s Ban" Template
When you appeal, you don't get a reason. You get an automated script. The bot told me I was permanently banned for: "the use of unauthorized modifications, purchasing a modd.ed account, OR save swapping...". Notice the "OR"? They don't actually know what triggered the ban. The system just flagged an anomaly, and instead of investigating, they throw the entire Terms of Service at you and permanently ban your entire PC.
2. Invoking EU Law gets you sent to a dead link
Under the new EU Digital Services Act (DSA Article 17 & 20), platforms are legally required to provide a specific "Statement of Reasons" (actual evidence/facts) and an effective internal complaint-handling system. I formally requested this, pointing out that an automated "OR" list doesn't meet legal standards.
Their automated response? They instantly closed the ticket and replied:
"Please contact https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal for any legal requests."
Spoiler alert: That link is just a static page with Microsoft's corporate policies. There is no contact form. There is no email. It is literally a dead end designed to make you give up.
3. The "Final Decision" Loop
When I opened a follow-up ticket because my previous one was closed by a bot, the system just spat out the final generic template: "Please keep in mind that this is a final decision, and we now consider this case as resolved. Any further requests on this topic will not be reviewed."
TL;DR: Forza Horizon 5 uses an automated system that can permanently Hardware-ID ban your PC. If it makes a mistake, there is no human support. They refuse to provide evidence, they actively violate EU consumer protection laws (DSA) by refusing to process appeals, and they will auto-close your tickets while redirecting you to a static legal webpage with no contact info.
You don't own the game, and if their bot decides you're done, you're done. Be warned.
I have one final question for the community, if this broken system permanently blacklisted my PC’s Hardware ID, what happens with future releases? Will this “Device Ban” automatically carry over to Forza Horizon 6 as well? Are PC players seriously expected to buy the next game without even knowing whether their hardware has already been silently blacklisted by Microsoft?