Horizon Forbidden West possible release date might be revealed very soon

Horizon Forbidden West PS5 release date
(Image credit: Sony)

Update: Horizon Forbidden West's story trailer showcases an epic quest to save a dying planet.

After Horizon Forbidden West game footage was shown off in PlayStation’s latest State of Play, the one question on everyone’s mind is “when is the release date?” 

It was the one piece of information PS5 owners really wanted from the event, and unfortunately, developer Guerrilla was extremely tight-lipped when it came to specifics. That was until the dev took to Twitter just after the showcase ended and gave players a most welcome update. 

According to Guerrilla, while there isn’t yet an “exact release date” for the hugely anticipated PS5 exclusive, “development is on track” and the studio will “have an update for [players] very soon." 

This could mean only a few weeks to wait before further information as there are a number of gaming events already scheduled for the next month, including E3 2021 and the Summer Games Fest.

Around 12 minutes of direct game footage was shown off during the State of Play event. In this presentation, we got a look at some of Horizon protagonist Aloy’s new abilities, including a grapple device and a tool that lets her breath underwater. We also got a first look at several new animalistic machine types and saw a boss battle with a gigantic mechanical mammoth. 

The footage looked phenomenal on PS5, so no wonder players are eager to know the release date. Hopefully, the wait for more information is short, and fingers crossed when we do get a launch date it’s not too far away either. 

When will Horizon Forbidden West release?  

Horizon forbidden west

(Image credit: Sony)

While we don’t yet have an exact release date for Horizon Forbidden West, we have a few clues that could tell us when we can expect to once again be let loose in a vast open-world overrun with feral machines. 

Sony previously announced that the sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn is scheduled to launch at some point in 2021. A PS5 advert confirmed that the game is “anticipated second half of 2021," but there is always the chance that the title could slip into 2022 if Guerrilla decides it needs more polish before launch.

Hopefully, that won’t be the case. And the good news is that the tweet above does state “development is on track,” which would suggest Horizon Forbidden West is still on course to hit its 2021 release date, for now at least. 

If the game is going to launch this year, we would expect to have a solid release date by the end of the summer. If we’ve still not heard anything by then, the likelihood of the game launching in 2021 would start to look rather bleak. 

A release date towards the end of the year would be most welcome for gamers still trying to hunt down a PS5 console, as the console has got even harder to get hold of the last few months. Make sure to check out our PS5 restock guide for the latest stock information as we get it. 

For anyone who is unable to secure a next-gen PlayStation before the release date of Horizon Forbidden West, don’t worry, it’s been confirmed the title will also launch on PS4

Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

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