Gamescom 2021 Opening Night continued with announcements and presentations of upcoming games. However, one of these announcements was a confirmation of rumors some didn't want to hear. Horizon: Forbidden West delayed. Thankfully, they did have a bit more to share.
The Game Director of Horizon: Forbidden West, Mathijs De Jonge behind the project entered the stage via a remote call to make the announcement official. He talked about how the team at Guerilla Games were hard at work on Aloy's newest adventure and that most of the game had been shaping up to be something special. As shown earlier this year at Sony's State of Play, the game would include advanced climbing mechanics, deep sea diving, and more refined melee combat. In addition, Jonge expresses gratitude to the fans, mentioning the passionate fan art, cosplay, and virtual photography that has kept the community alive and thriving.
However, due to unforseen consequences regarding the global pandemic and the continuing mutations and strains of COVID-19 around the world, Horizon: Forbidden West will need a bit more time to be ready.

It wasn't all doom and gloom however. The Director also confirmed that a brand new update has been shadowdropped for Horizon: Zero Dawn, the previous installment in the series. Specifically, this is a new next-gen console update for the game, allowing it to run at 60 FPS as well as other technical performance improvements on the PlayStation 5 console.
It's a solid consolation for both ardent fans who need something to stay occupied with until Horizon: Forbidden West's new release date. Furthermore, it makes for a great jumping on point for PlayStation 5 owners who have yet to experience the original game.
What is the Horizon: Forbidden West Release Date?
The new release date for the game on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 is now February 18 of 2022. Pre-orders for the game will go live September 2.