Horizon Forbidden West was positioned as the must-have PlayStation exclusive title for Christmas 2021 just a few months ago. Horizon Forbidden West was rumored to be missing its 2021 release date, and Guerrilla Games has officially verified those rumors. Horizon Forbidden West’s PS4 and PS5 release date has been officially pushed out to early 2022, but at least it finally has a firm date.
According to Gamescom Opening Night Live, the release date for Horizon Forbidden West has been set for February 18, 2022. The creators said that the delay is necessary to guarantee that the game meets their high standards of refinement, but they promised fans that the game is now in its final stages of production. At Gamescom, no new gameplay video was displayed, but it was confirmed that the game would have reworked melee fighting, new climbing mechanisms, and other improvements.
Some fans may be disappointed by the Horizon Forbidden West release date delay, while others may welcome it if it means the final product meets up to expectations. Horizon Zero Dawn set a high standard, so it’s understandable that the creators would want to do everything they can to guarantee that the sequel lives up to it.
While waiting for Forbidden West, fans of the original Horizon Zero Dawn might want to try revisiting it. Guerrilla Games revealed at Gamescom that Horizon Zero Dawn had received a PS5 update, allowing players to play the game at 60 frames per second on Sony’s next-generation platform. Although this isn’t the same as a true PlayStation 5 version for Horizon Zero Dawn, it should nevertheless make playing the game on the PS5 more enjoyable.
Horizon Forbidden West is coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on 18 February 2022! Pre-orders will begin next week, on 2 September. Are you ready to continue Aloy's journey?https://t.co/aMD8LIWbf8 #HorizonForbiddenWest pic.twitter.com/bRP3kToGji
— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) August 25, 2021
It’s unknown whether or not a PS5 port of Horizon Zero Dawn will ever be released, although it seems doubtful. After all, Horizon Forbidden West is a cross-gen title in and of itself, and given that it has a release date, it doesn’t appear that transferring the original would add much value. Horizon fans will have to make do for the time being with the PS5 update and the performance increase that comes with it.
A few gaming events are planned for later this year, like The Game Awards, so that fans may get another look at Horizon Forbidden West before its February release. It may or may not receive another special PlayStation State of Play event, but fans should anticipate it to happen again soon.
