‘Horizon Forbidden West’ delayed to 2022
Fans of Aloy will have to wait a little longer for Horizon Forbidden West as the much-awaited PlayStation exclusive has officially been delayed until next year.
In a recent PlayStation Blog, Guerilla game director Mathijis de Jonge confirmed that the sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn will be released on Feb. 18, 2022 for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 with pre-orders set to begin on Sept. 2, 2021. The post-apocalyptic open-world adventure was initially slated to come out in holiday 2021.
De Jonge explained that when Sony and Guerilla Games unveiled the first gameplay footage for Horizon Forbidden West in May, the game was on track for its 2021 release. However, despite the game entering the final stage of development, De Jonge said that it's a bit uncertain if the team behind the project would be able to polish it to the level of quality they are striving for.
De Jonge attributed the setback to the current global pandemic which "hugely impacted" those who are working on the project. However, De Jonge noted that they "have been adjusting to new workflows, protocols, and other challenges, while keeping our teams safe and prioritizing a healthy work/life balance."
"While the decision to move the game’s launch to 2022 certainly wasn’t easy, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of our fans for their unwavering support," De Jonge said. "We know how much you’ve been looking forward to reuniting with Aloy and her friends, continuing her story, and exploring a new and more dangerous world. Your passion, fan art, cosplay, virtual photography, and videos have meant the world to all of us."
Although the long-awaited sequel suffered a bit of delay, De Jonge announced that a free patch for Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition is now live, allowing PlayStation 5 owners to run the game at a targeted 60 frames per second. Additionally, the Enhanced Performance Patch also brings 4k checkerboard resolution to Sony's next-gen console.
Horizon Forbidden West continues six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. Aloy, a machine hunter, has travelled west to investigate a mysterious and deadly blight. In these uncharted lands, she will meet strange new tribes and encounter ever more deadly machines. Together with old friends and new companions, she must brave this dangerous frontier to find the answers she needs to save life on Earth.
For now, check out 14 minutes of gameplay footage of Horizon Forbidden West below:
(Images from PlayStation)