Steam's best-selling games chart is giving us a battle between two genre giants, two open-world masterpieces, two of the greatest games of all time: Forza Horizon 4 and Elden Ring.
Elden Ring has once again been dominating sales charts now that the giant expandothon Shadow of the Erdtree is out in the wild and kicking our butts. But what about Forza Horizon 4, the open-world driving game from six years ago? An 80% off discount probably helps, though fans are probably racing back to the game after news of its incoming storefront removal.
Developer Playground Games recently announced that Forza Horizon 4 would be removed from digital storefronts on December 15, 2024, due to expiring licenses - a tale as old as digital-era racing games. The good news is that the game's offline and online multiplayer will still be functional and playable afterward for all owners, unlike fellow open-world racer The Crew, which became entirely unplayable earlier this year. (Take note, Ubisoft.)
Forza Horizon 4 players reacted to the news by returning to the game (or jumping in for the first time) in droves. SteamDB's global best-seller charts place Forza Horizon 4 in first place with Elden Ring falling just under. The game also reached a new concurrent player peak - literally four minutes ago as of the time of writing - with over 52,000 people and counting in-game on PC.
It's no exaggeration to say Forza Horizon 4 is great. Better than great. Playground Games let players loose in a wonderful, compact recreation of the UK that had an endless supply of surprises. One mission takes you to a Halo ring, another has you reenacting famous races from other driving game classics, and every real-world week, the season shifts and brings in autumnal leaves or deep snow that changes how you drive. The developer is now working on the beautiful Fable reboot using the same engine that powered Forza Horizon 5's Mexico.
