'Horizon Forbidden West' Will Now Be Released in 2022

One of PlayStation's most successful games to date is Horizon Zero Dawn, following outcast Aloy as she attempts to uncover the mysteries of her past. Released in 2017, the title launched in the U.S. on the last day of February and was still the second-most downloaded game for the month, despite having only one day of sales behind it.

In mid-2020, Sony and Horizon Zero Dawn's developer, Guerrilla Games, announced a sequel was in the works. Horizon Forbidden West is considered one of the most anticipated PlayStation games, but what is the title's official release date?

Taking place six months after the events in Horizon Zero Dawn, this upcoming sequel follows Aloy as she's traveled west to the ruins of San Francisco to investigate a deadly blight. She sends her trusted friend, Erend, on a mission to retrieve an artifact necessary to their mission, but Erend never returns.

Aloy's friend runs into trouble with the Tenakth tribe, a band of people who have managed to find a way to override the beasts known as the "machines" and now use them to their advantage.

This sets up an extra roadblock for Aloy on her journey, and before she can continue, she'll have to save her friend from the tribe — but there are new enemies in her way. Horizon Forbidden West introduces new machines she'll have to study and defeat. The Sunwings dominate the sky, while the Clawstriders and Tremortusks roam on land. Snapmaws and Burrowers infest the waters, making it so there's no easy avenue for Aloy to take.

Sony's State of Play stream on May 27 focused on this new title, giving players the first look at gameplay and the campaign. The company promises that this game will rely heavily on strategy while also offering a variety of new weapons to help players through the game.

While the development team was originally insistent on releasing the title in 2021, the release date has since been pushed back to 2022. At this time, the game is expected to release on Feb. 18, 2022.

Game Director Mathijs de Jonge said during the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2021 that production had been "hugely impacted by the global pandemic."

"We've been adjusting to new workflows and other challenges," he said, "while keeping our team safe and prioritizing a healthy work-life balance."

In November 2020, Sony launched its highly successful and almost impossible-to-find PlayStation 5, and since, many of the company's newest games have been PS5 exclusives. Games like Demon's Souls, which was released for the console at launch, have been extremely successful, suggesting the company will continue to move in that direction with the output of its games.

That being said, Sony has confirmed that Horizon Forbidden West will be released for the PS4 as well as the PS5. Thanks to the immense success of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, Sony is likely trying to continue to capitalize on the franchise's success by making the game available to a wider audience.

"A lot of the development has taken place on the PlayStation 4, and a lot of playtesting is also done on PlayStation 4," Mathijs said." So we are ensuring that owners of that console have a great experience and that the game will look fantastic on that console."

Even if you haven't managed to secure a PS5, or if you're still waiting to make the splurge, you'll still be able to partake in this breathtaking sequel.