One of the first games Sony revealed for its next-generation PlayStation 5 console was Horizon Forbidden West. A sequel to the hit PS4 game Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West is quite easily one of the most-anticipated games in the works for PS5. Unfortunately, there are rumblings that Horizon Forbidden West will not meet its planned 2021 release date, and may be getting delayed to 2022.
This is according to Anton Logvinov, an industry insider who accurately leaked the Horizon Zero Dawn PC port before it was revealed to the public. While fans should take this information with a big grain of salt, Logvinov has been accurate about video game news leaks in the past, and so he's somewhat easier to believe than other random leakers online. Still, fans shouldn't get too worried until the information comes from Sony.
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Luckily, Horizon Forbidden West fans have a very recent comment from Sony indicating that the game is still on track for release in 2021. Just a few days ago, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan reaffirmed that the Horizon Forbidden West release year is 2021. However, it's possible that something's changed between the time Ryan made those comments and Logvinov's tweet. It's also possible that a concrete decision about delaying Horizon Forbidden West hasn't been reached, and so maybe Ryan was sticking to the previously announced 2021 release window to be on the safe side.
As it stands, very little has been shown in regards to Horizon Forbidden West. Outside of the game's reveal trailer, Sony and Guerrilla Games have kept their cards close to their chests. And unfortunately, Horizon Forbidden West was nowhere to be seen during the latest PlayStation State of Play event, though to be fair, that event seemed to focus mostly on PS4 and PS5 games releasing in the first half of 2021.
Some marketing has already pointed to a late 2021 release date for Horizon Forbidden West, so it's not hard to believe that the game could slip to 2022. After all, there's quite a few big 2021 games that have already been delayed to next year, and considering the graphic fidelity and scope of Horizon Forbidden West, it's just the kind of game that is susceptible to a big delay.
PlayStation has made it clear that it will delay games to avoid putting out an inferior product, and so if Horizon Forbidden West needs more time in the oven, then one has to imagine the developers will be granted more time to work on it. For now, though, the official statement from Sony is that Horizon Forbidden West is launching this year.
Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled to launch in 2021 for PS4 and PS5.
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