Developer Guerrilla Games has clarified that Horizon Forbidden West is still on track to release in 2021. After Horizon Forbidden West‘s gameplay reveal at the most recent State of Play stream, PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst called the game’s enduring 2021 launch window into question (which also accompanied the announcement of God of War: Ragnarok‘s delay). Now, Guerrilla has set the record straight.
Horizon Zero Dawn was one of PlayStation’s most significant new IP debuts of the last console generation. Selling millions as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn later became the first-ever PlayStation exclusive ported to PC in 2020. Although its PC launch had optimization problems, sales on Steam and Epic Games Store have remained strong. The series has quickly become a key part of Sony Interactive marketing, with protagonist Aloy getting her own Fortnite skin. As one of PlayStation’s only known 2021 launch window games, many PS5 (and now PS4) owners have been counting on Horizon Forbidden West releasing this year.
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In a Game Informer interview, game director Mathijs de Jonge explained that the game is still on track to launch in 2021, easing fears caused by Hermen Hulst’s recent statements. He cites the challenges the team has met developing the game during the pandemic as a factor for the uncertainty of the release date. De Jonge says that the developer needs “a little more time” before giving a concrete date. COVID-19 safety precautions are a reason for many studios delaying games in 2021, and De Jonge shared:
“The development is on track. The thing is, these are just strange times that we’re all in and we have never finalized and shipped a game under these kinds of circumstances. So we are constantly calculating our schedules and looking at, ‘Okay, where are we?’ and ‘Are there any unforeseen things that might happen?’ We just want to be super confident when we announce the release date, that we’re actually going to hit it. So we just need a little bit more time, and then we can come back with a final release date.”
Horizon Forbidden West is coming to both PS5 and PS4, which may also be contributing to the extended development time. Because of its cross-gen development, versions for base PS4, PS4 Pro, and the PS5 need optimized to provide the best quality performance. If this is the case, Guerrilla likely needs ample time to deliver the best possible product. Most recently, PlayStation and Santa Monica Studio delayed the God of War sequel to 2022 because the developer wants to avoid any chance of a Cyberpunk 2077-like launch situation.
Now, fan speculation is focused on an official Horizon Forbidden West release date. It is most likely that, should it ultimately avoid a delay, it will launch in or around the 2021 holiday season. PlayStation has no other dated exclusive releases at the end of the year aside from Arkane’s PS5 timed exclusive Deathloop in September. A release ahead Christmas would bring a solid end to the PS5’s first year.
Horizon Forbidden West will be available for PS5 and PS4 in 2021.
Source: Game Informer
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