In the wake of alleged “mass bans” affecting Forza Horizon 6 players, the game’s official Code of Conduct received an update on September 24. The revision specifically expands on the rules for inappropriate user-generated content (UGC), providing clearer details about Forza’s enforcement measures. The updated policy clarifies that bans are handled by human moderators and are not determined by the volume of reports, countering rumors that recent bans were triggered by coordinated reports against creators of “itasha” (cars adorned with anime, manga, and game characters).
About two months prior, our Japanese sister publication reported that several well-known itasha creators had removed their designs and ceased uploading new ones, suggesting they had been banned from sharing content in Forza Horizon 6. Designs from car parts manufacturers were also found to be taken down, fueling concerns that creations were being automatically removed based on report counts. While unconfirmed, some players suspected that a deliberate “reporting campaign” was behind the widespread removal of player-made content across multiple Forza titles.
Lately, Japanese players have been raising concerns about what appears to be a fresh “banning wave” targeting not only creators but also players who photograph itasha designs and share them in-game. There are also accounts of players facing bans for having suggestive work-in-progress designs that were never uploaded.
Previously, there was no official clarification on whether the number of reports influenced player bans. The newly revised Code of Conduct now addresses this concern directly.
According to the section on inappropriate UGC, content flagged by the in-game reporting system is placed in a queue for human moderation. The number of reports on a piece of content does not affect its priority or position in the queue. Moderators assess each case based on the severity of the content and the creator’s previous infractions. First-time offenders receive a warning, while repeated violations lead to progressively longer suspensions.
Permanent bans are only issued without prior warnings if the content includes child sexual abuse material, explicit sexual content, explicit nudity, or images violating Forza’s Zero Tolerance Policy (which covers hate speech, credible violent threats, child sexual exploitation, terrorism, violent extremism, and more). Forza notes that its content evaluation criteria will continue to evolve, with corresponding updates to the Code of Conduct.
Even with these violation procedures outlined, players remain confused about why certain itasha designs are deemed违规 under the Code of Conduct. The updated policy still lacks specific guidelines, prompting fans to request more detailed criteria to avoid accidental bans while creating and sharing content.
Forza Horizon 6 is available on Windows (Steam/Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S. A PlayStation 5 version is scheduled for release later this year.