Forza Horizon 5: How I Finally Snapped the Golden Tlaloc Totem

I’ll be honest: the 'An Item of Extreme Value' achievement in Forza Horizon 5 had me driving in circles like a confused tourist for way longer than I want to admit. Even in 2026, with the game now sitting on Xbox, PC, and PS5, this little photo quest still catches people off guard. So if you’re staring at a Golden Tlaloc Totem objective and wondering why the game won’t let you tick it off in free roam, breathe. I’ve got you.

Why This Achievement Is So Picky

Expeditions were a fresh idea when Forza Horizon 5 launched on November 9, 2021. They’re campaign-style events you play alongside Showcase modes, and each one highlights a slice of the Mexico map with narration from the NPC Ramero. You learn about the area, then get optional objectives. Some of those objectives feed into rewards, including Xbox Achievements. The game has 1000 gamerscore to collect, and the Golden Tlaloc Totem photo is one of the fussiest.

The key detail is timing. You must photograph the Golden Statue during the first tier of the Tulum Expedition under Horizon Apex Adventure. You cannot do it in Free Roam. The objective only exists while the event is active. If you wander off or finish the wrong step, the chance is gone. That’s why so many players think the statue is bugged. It isn’t. It’s just locked to a specific story moment.

Step One: Start the Tulum Expedition

Open Horizon Apex Adventure and select the Tulum Expedition. You’ll drive through a storm before reaching Tulum on the southeastern side of Forza’s massive Mexico map. The storm wants to shake you off the road, but keep going. Your destination is the Apex Outpost inside some ancient ruins. Once you establish it, optional objectives appear. One of them says Photograph the Golden Statue.

The good news is that the game highlights the section of the map where you can complete these objectives. The bad news is that the area is small and cluttered. A highlighted circle doesn’t mean the totem will jump into your camera. You still need to look.

Step Two: Don’t Look for a Giant Gold Statue

Here’s where the name lies to you. The Golden Tlaloc Totem isn’t as tall as a statue, and it isn’t a brilliant, shiny gold. It’s a modest stone item, and it plays hide-and-seek among the ruins. What you’re really looking for is a stone house with a Totem surrounded by scaffolding nearby. That scaffolding is your landmark.

Trust me, I spent ages scanning for something huge and gleaming. That was my mistake. The map is happy to guide you, but your eyes need to filter out the ruin clutter. Once you spot the scaffolding, slow down. The totem is smaller than you expect, and it’s easy to drive past.

Step Three: Use Photo Mode and Snap It

When you’ve found the Totem, press up on the d-pad. On PC, if you’re using a keyboard, press P. That opens Forza Horizon 5’s photo mode. You can absolutely play with filters, exposure, and angles if you want a wallpaper-worthy shot. But don’t sweat it: simply taking a screenshot of the Totem is enough to satisfy the condition and unlock the achievement.

The achievement should pop right after. No need to share the photo, no need to win a race, no need to pray to the Forza gods. Just get the Totem in frame.

Quick Reference

My 2026 Take

Five years after launch, Forza Horizon 5 is still a gorgeous road trip. The Expedition format still feels like a guided tour with Ramero chatting in your ear, and the photo objectives remain a nice excuse to stop and smell the virtual jungle. With the game now available on more platforms, including PS5, a new wave of players is running into the same Golden Statue confusion. The achievement list hasn’t changed, and the Tulum trick still works exactly the same.

So don’t be like me. Don’t spend an hour in Free Roam wondering why the statue won’t spawn. It won’t. Start the Tulum Expedition, drive through the storm, establish the Apex Outpost, and look for scaffolding instead of gold. Snap the Totem, claim your gamerscore, and get back to causing beautiful chaos across Mexico. 🏁