Horizon Forbidden West delayed until February 2022

Horizon Forbidden West has been officially delayed until next year, Guerrilla confirmed during the Gamescom Opening Night Live event.

In a post on the PlayStation blog, game director Mathijs de Jonge explained that development had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the game back from its original 2021 release date.

“Horizon Forbidden West had just passed a major milestone and we had entered the final stage of development; on track, but a bit uncertain if we’d be able to polish the game to the level of quality we strive for,” reads the post.

“It’s no surprise that our teams were hugely impacted by the global pandemic; we have been adjusting to new workflows, protocols, and other challenges, while keeping our teams safe and prioritizing a healthy work/life balance.

“Today we are delighted to confirm that our long-awaited sequel is coming to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 18, 2022. Pre-orders start on September 2, 2021, so look out for more information on that next week.

“While the decision to move the game’s launch to 2022 certainly wasn’t easy, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of our fans for their unwavering support; we know how much you’ve been looking forward to reuniting with Aloy and her friends, continuing her story, and exploring a new and more dangerous world. Your passion, fan art, cosplay, virtual photography, and videos have meant the world to all of us.”

Guerilla also announced that it has released an Enhanced Performance Patch for Horizon Zero Dawn, upping the game’s framerate to 60 FPS.