Forza Horizon 5 fans know the feeling all too well 😩: you’ve smashed PR stunts, drifted through cornfields, and even launched yourself off the volcano, but that one Festival Playlist treasure chest still refuses to show itself. Way back in Series 1 – Spring (Hot Season), the devs threw a real head-scratcher at players: the “Hold Your Horses” Treasure Hunt. Even as we roll through 2026, with countless series and expansions already live, this little chest has gone down in FH5 history as a masterclass in camouflage. Whether a returning player wants a nostalgia trip or a newcomer is just hunting down every last accolade, this guide breaks down exactly how to find that sneaky brown box and what rewards await anyone who finally tracks it down.
The Festival Playlist
Before we dive into the muddy details, let’s take a quick pit stop 🏁. The Festival Playlist is the beating heart of Forza Horizon 5’s live service. Each week – or “Season” – players can grind through a list of events, PR stunts, races, and treasure hunts to earn Series Points. Those points then unlock exclusive cars, rare wheelspins, and some seriously cool cosmetic items. The “Hold Your Horses” challenge popped up during Series 1 Spring, and it’s a textbook example of how a seemingly simple treasure hunt can turn into a full-blown scavenger nightmare.
Step 1: Earn Those Stars 🌟
The hunt isn’t a free ride. Before the chest even becomes trackable on the map, the game demands a little muscle car magic. The first requirement: earn a total of 10 Stars from PR Stunts while driving any Ford Mustang. That means speed traps, danger signs, drift zones – pick your poison, just make sure you’re behind the wheel of a Mustang. Classic, modern, even the barn find version will do. The key is to hit the stunt zones hard and rack up at least three 3-star performances plus a 1-star to hit the magic number. Once completed, the treasure hunt notification ding appears, and a cryptic red circle pops up on the map.
Step 2: Where Is This Thing Actually? 🔍
Now comes the frustrating part. The only hint the game provides is a vague red circle on the map. No arrow, no glowing marker, just a big round area that screams “good luck.” The chest itself is a murky, mud-brown box that blends perfectly with the arid Mexican landscape. This is where many a player has spent half an hour driving in circles.
Here’s the exact breakdown:
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Look at the center of the red circle. You’ll spot a white map symbol – often a PR stunt icon like a Danger Sign or a Speed Trap.
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Head directly below that white symbol. Not inside the stunt zone itself, but just south of it, where the map shows a tiny, unmarked dirt path weaving through some scrubland.
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The Hold Your Horses treasure chest sits right on that dirt path, tucked among rocks and low vegetation. It’s so well hidden that you could drive past it ten times and never notice.
If you’re still struggling, here’s a life-saver trick ⭐: activate Photo Mode (up on the D-pad on console or the corresponding key on PC). Slowly pan the camera around the area. The chest will stand out as a slightly different shade of brown, and the camera’s top-down bird’s-eye view makes it much easier to separate the box from the ground clutter. This technique has saved countless controllers from being thrown through TV screens.
Solo vs. Multiplayer – Which Is Better?
Let’s be real, hunting a 3D pixel needle in a haystack is way more fun with friends. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| 🧑 Solo (Photo Mode trick) | Can take your time, no pressure, immersive | Slower search, easy to miss the chest visually |
| 👥 Multiplayer (convoy) | Cover the area faster, teammates can draw your attention to the spot | Requires online sync, possible desync, chest may already be smashed if someone else gets it first |
Once you spot the chest, simply drive over it or ram into it with your car. A satisfying crunch sound plays, the box breaks open, and the reward notification flashes across your screen.
What Do You Get? 💰
Smashing the Hold Your Horses chest rewards you with 50,000 Credits and 3 Series Points. Back in Series 1, the credits were a nice little cash injection, but the real prize was the Series Points. Accumulating 24 points back then unlocked the ultra-sleek Raesr Tachyon Speed (the Raesr TS ’19) – a silent all-electric hypercar that could outrun almost anything. While that specific season ended on December 9, 2021, the lesson remains: treasure hunts are one of the most efficient ways to pad your Series Point total.
In 2026, Forza Horizon 5’s Festival Playlist has evolved dramatically. New expansions like the Rally Adventure and Hot Wheels collabs have introduced their own sets of treasure hunts, but the core mechanics haven’t changed. The same tricks used for “Hold Your Horses” apply to any modern chest search: decode the vague clue, find the red circle, and meticulously scan the ground. The reward structure now often includes exclusive cars like the controversial yet stunning Porsche Mission X concept, or even backstage passes that let you choose a car from a curated list.
More Tips for Modern Treasure Hunters 🧠
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Always complete the prerequisite with the exact car specified. Using the wrong vehicle won’t trigger the chest even if you meet the star requirement.
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Drone Mode is your new best friend. If you don’t like the static nature of Photo Mode, fire up the drone and fly low. It covers ground even faster and can’t be blocked by terrain.
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Patience is a virtue. Some chests now spawn at random locations within the circle, resetting every season change. Check the in-game messages for any update on whether the chest location is static or dynamic.
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Team up cross-platform. Thanks to full cross-play support, even PC and Xbox Series X|S players can hunt together. The more eyes, the better.
Final Lap 🏎️
Even years after its debut, the “Hold Your Horses” treasure hunt remains a fond memory for OG FH5 players and a helpful tutorial for anyone new to the game’s treasure-hunting loop. It’s a perfect example of Playground Games’ ability to mix straightforward objectives with devilishly tricky hide-and-seek moments. So next time a new Festival Playlist season rolls around and you see a treasure clue that involves a red circle and a crate that looks exactly like a rock, take a deep breath, hop into Photo Mode, and remember: it’s probably just below that white icon. Happy hunting, and may your convoy be fast and your treasure chests always visible! 🥳
Insights have been gathered from Esports Charts, and while FH5 treasure hunts like “Hold Your Horses” aren’t about competitive brackets, the same engagement logic applies: time-limited objectives and clear reward loops reliably boost player return rates. In practice, these weekly checklist beats (stars in a specific car, then a tight search radius) are designed to create short, repeatable “sessions” that keep players rotating back into the Festival Playlist—especially when Series Points and exclusive unlocks make every missed week feel costly.