August 31, 2022
Surprisingly, Google seems positive that some people actually search ‘Is Horizon Forbidden West a DLC or sequel?’ and we can very quickly tell you that yes, it’s a full-fledged sequel to the excellent Horizon Zero Dawn. However, the question some people might genuinely be asking, is whether or not Horizon Forbidden West is getting DLC from developer Guerilla Games. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite so straightforward. Read on, we’ll do our best to explain the situation and let you know where you stand with future content for the incredible PlayStation exclusive.
31 Aug Update - Checked for the latest Horizon Forbidden West DLC news. All the most recent updates are found just below.
Latest News
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31 August - New Horizon Patch Out
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Since we’re noticed a boatload of more people navigating to this page today:
We’ll be on the lookout for any other subtle changes to the game in the event anything does hint at any future DLC, but for now, just enjoy the new face paints for Aloy! |
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23 July, 2022 - Aloy Actress teases new MoCap
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Horizon fans think they might have spotted the first signs that DLC could be on the way for Horizon Forbidden West after they spotted that Aloy’s stunt actress was once again back in a mocap suit. The actress is question is Peggy Vrijens and she recently posted the video reel below to Instagram. According to PushSquare, fans also spotted that she’s been hanging out with Louis Van Beek, who also did motion capture and some voice acting for the game. |
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Will Horizon Forbidden West Have DLC
At the time of writing, PlayStation and Guerilla Games have not confirmed any DLC for Horizon Forbidden West. So right now, you’d probably have to say no. However, the developer does have form with launching surprise expansions.
With the first game, Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerilla released the ‘The Frozen Wilds’ expansion which added a new compelling storyline to follow, new mysteries to uncover and new, highly lethal machines to take on. This was the only DLC for the first game, which focussed on a new area known as ‘the Cut’, a region on the border of Banuk territory accessible via a mountain pass just north of the Grave-Hoard. It was also pretty lengthy too, adding roughly 7-18 hours worth of new content for fans of the base game.
Though we also have a VR spin-off game in the works set in the Horizon universe, we can also absolutely see Guerilla Games releasing an expansion to Forbidden West in much the same way that they did with Frozen Wilds. In fact, there’s some evidence to suggest fans have already spotted this DLC in-game
Horizon Forbidden West DLC Leaks and Rumours
You can chalk this next one down as either a ‘leak’ or a rather elaborate rumour, but whatever you call it, fans think they’ve located an area in the Horizon Forbidden West map that hints towards a possible new DLC location. Fans appeared to find a new out-of-bounds area towards the top right-hand side of the game near Hollow Rock. Look a bit closer and you can spot a few ruins and even a couple of handholds which suggest it’s accessible (or was before being cut?).
Some fans think this could be one possible location for an expansion, partly because if you get close you’ll receive a warning message that reads “You are leaving the play area and should turn back. If you continue your last saved game will be reloaded.” Intriguingly this was the same message fans received when exploring the path that led to the Frozen Wilds expansion before it launched. You can see this area on the below video Reddit clip. But honestly, the more likely DLC scenario is one mentioned by the community before called ‘Burning Shores’.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Explained
The Burning Shores is mentioned by name a couple of times throughout Forbidden West. Gildun‘s diary explains that it is located south of the Spinebreak, and is also referenced by Brin as “the place of flames and brine”. If you attempt to explore further south you’ll again get told by the game to ‘Turn back’ in a location which could very well be another entrance to future DLC.
Some sneaky players have managed to get closer using their Sunwing and on closer inspection, it looks like the devs have modelled a replica of the arched Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge near Las Vegas, Nevada; as well as potentially the Hoover Dam.
Some players have therefore suggested that ‘Burning Shores’ could be a reference to southern California. Likewise in one datapoint from Cpl. Acosta, it was mentioned that during Operation: Enduring Victory soldiers lit garbage onfire next to the USA’s western shores.
The swarm came in from the Pacific, and—I don’t know if it was the local minutemen or the Crazy 15th, but they’d set the garbage patch alight. Man, the sea was on fire, that stuff was—the first wave of bots came in covered in burning sludge. – Cpl. Acosta (A) Datapoint
You can learn and see more about the Burning Shores expansion in more depth with the youtube video below from JorRaptor.
Horizon Forbidden West DLC Release Date Speculation
First off, it’s worth saying that for the time being there’s no official release date for Horizon Forbidden West DLC, since, as we’ve noted, it’s not been announced or revealed. However, it seems a safe bet that the DLC will be coming in the future, so let’s talk timelines.
Horizon Zero Dawn was released on February 28, 2017, with Frozen Wilds announced on June 13 at Paris Games Week ahead of a release the same year on November 7, 2017. This meant that between the base game there were only 8 months.
Assuming Horizon Forbidden West followed the same pattern, we might expect to see a DLC expansion released later this year, in November 2022. That said, we know that development has been harder with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, so we wouldn’t rule out the possibility that the DLC is launched slightly later. Likewise, devs have assured fans that God of War Ragnarok will still release this year, likely in the latter half of 2022. So, it might be that Sony looks to spread out their releases. For us, an early 2023 launch looks most likely for Horizon Forbidden West DLC.
Read More: Where To Find the Best Armor in Horizon Forbidden West
During your time in Horizon Forbidden West, you’ll come across countless pieces of armor to adorn Aloy. Of course, some of these pieces and sets of armor are far superior to others. There are three legendary sets that stand out above the rest, Here’s how to find the best sets of armor in Horizon Forbidden West.
