While Sony’s State of Play events typically focus on a variety of video games that are in development for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, it has recently experimented with more-focused presentations. Last month, Sony revealed a ton of newRatchet & Clank: Rift Apartinformation in a special State of Play, and just recently, it hosted a State of Play presentation that gave fans a glimpse at about 20 minutes of freshHorizon Forbidden Westgameplay footage.
TheHorizon Forbidden WestState of Play presentation was impressive and well-received by franchise fans. The replay has a staggering 31,000 likes at the time of this writing, and so it’s safe to say that many are looking forward to the game. It wouldn’t be out of hand to say thatHorizon Forbidden Westis many PlayStation fans' most highly-anticipated game, period, and so it’s no surprise that many are wondering when exactly they will get to try it for themselves.
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Whenever a company hosts these kinds of presentations, many fans go in expecting there to be some kind of release date announcement - especially when it’s around E3 season. Those that tuned in to theHorizon Forbidden WestState of Play presentationweren’t treated to any kind of release date announcement, unfortunately, though the lack of a release date may actually be a big clue as to when fans can expect to play the game for themselves.
Horizon Forbidden West 2021 Release Window
At the time of this writing, theHorizon Forbidden Westrelease windowis said to be a vague 2021. This means that fans should be able to expect the game to drop anytime between now and the end of the year, but with no release date announced during the State of Play, it’s likely safe to rule the third quarter out. That means that theHorizon Forbidden Westrelease date is almost certainly sometime in the October to December window.
If Sony andGuerrilla Gamesdo manage to getHorizon Forbidden Westfinished and on store shelves by the end of the year, then a safe bet would be the game launching in November. November tends to be the month where game companies drop some of their biggest releases, as it gets them out right in time for the holiday season. Reports indicate that November is when Microsoft is going to launchHalo Infinite, and it’s been outright confirmed that thePokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlrelease dates are in November as well.
Assuming theHalo Infiniterelease date rumors are accurate, that would leave Sony as the only one of the three console manufacturers without a big November game release lined up. IfHorizon Forbidden Westis able to finish development and be ready in time for a holiday release, then it stands to reason that Sony would likely try to position it in November to compete with the offerings from Microsoft and Nintendo.
Horizon Forbidden West State of Play
What was shown during the State of Play will likely inspire confidence in fans thatHorizon Forbidden Westwill meet its 2021 release window. Sony and Guerrilla Games showcased a whopping 20 minutes of freshHorizon Forbidden Westgameplay footage, showingHorizon Forbidden Westprotagonist Aloyin a variety of environments. In the newHorizon Forbidden Westgameplay footage, Aloy is seen in a jungle, underwater, on a beach, and more, with all of the action rendered with some truly stunning graphics.
The important thing about theHorizon Forbidden Westfootage shown during the State of Play is that it seemed to be legitimate, genuine gameplay, and highly polished at that. This would suggest thatHorizon Forbidden Westis very near to the end of its development cycle. But then again, there is precedent for Sony exaggerating when it comes to some of its titles, with one of the most infamous examples being theKillzone 2PS3 “demo”- another game that was developed by Guerrilla Games.
While some may be somewhat cautious about theHorizon Forbidden WestState of Play for that reason, it seems unlikely that Sony would make that mistake twice, and so it’s a safe assumption that development on the game is going quite well. However, one would think that if the game truly was coming to the end of its development cycle that a release date would’ve been announced to cap off the State of Play.
Horizon Forbidden West Possible 2022 Delay
With noHorizon Forbidden Westrelease date announced during the State of Play, it will undoubtedly have some fans worried that the game may miss its 2021 release window and slip to 2022. While nothing to that effect has been announced, and Sony itself has stuck to the 2021 release window so far, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility. Video game delays happen all the time, especially with triple-A titles like this.
Months ago, industry insiders and proven leakers suggested thatHorizon Forbidden West’s release date would be delayed to 2022. The lack of a release date announcement at the State of Play seems to lend credence to those claims, but fans shouldn’t get worked up just yet.
The lack of aHorizon Forbidden Westrelease date may just mean that Sony itself isn’t completely sure if the game is going to release in 2021, but that there is still a possibility. So right now, fans shouldn’t necessarily hold their breath that the game will launch this year, but they also shouldn’t stress about the possibility of it being delayed to 2022. It is a bit odd that there was noHorizon Forbidden Westrelease date announced at the State of Play, but it’s a clue that points to a lack of concrete release date behind the scenes and doesn’t necessarily mean anything good or bad for the game.
Horizon Forbidden Westis in development for PS4 and PS5.
