1. Corporate Restructuring & Ownership Changes

Bugatti is no longer just a Volkswagen brand. It’s now part of the Bugatti Rimac joint venture. Rimac Group holds 55%, while Porsche holds 45%. This change meant:

• Previous contracts with Playground Games and Microsoft became invalid.
• Licensing agreements had to be redone from scratch under the new legal entity.

Think of it like updating your car insurance after moving states—the old agreement just doesn’t apply anymore.

2. Licensing Delays

Getting Bugatti back in the game isn’t as simple as flipping a switch:

• Negotiations are long: Contracts with Bugatti Rimac must be fully rewritten and approved.
• Time pressure: Forza Horizon 6 had deadlines for launch certification. The paperwork wasn’t ready in time.

This isn’t unprecedented. FH5 had a similar problem—brands like Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat, and Abarth were missing at launch because their parent company was being absorbed into Stellantis.

3. Post-Launch Strategy

Don’t worry—Bugatti will likely return:

• Live service drip-feed: Playground Games often adds cars after launch via seasonal updates.
• Future updates: Community chatter and official forums hint that Bugatti could appear in a Festival Playlist update, free car pack, or DLC expansion once licensing is finalized.

Basically, Bugatti is temporarily absent, but it’s on the way back once legal hurdles are cleared.

TL;DR: Bugatti is missing in FH6 because of a corporate shift to Bugatti Rimac and the resulting licensing red tape. They weren’t ready for day one, but expect them in post-launch updates.