As PlayStation 6 Leaks Mount, Horizon 3 Should Plan Ahead to Avoid a Forbidden West Mistake

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As Sony’s PlayStation 5 approaches its fifth year, there’s been a surge of speculation and leaks about the upcoming PlayStation 6, including potential launch titles like the third main installment in the Horizon series. According to the YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead, Sony is reportedly targeting a release for the PS6 console around late 2027 or early 2028, possibly accompanied by a new handheld console. Although specifics about launch games are scarce, other rumors hint that Guerrilla Games might be working on the third mainline Horizon game for the PS6 debut. If this is accurate, it’s crucial for Guerrilla to ensure that Horizon 3 avoids the same content issues as Horizon Forbidden West at launch.

Horizon Forbidden West’s Launch and Content Issues

Since the worldwide critical and financial triumph of 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn, Sony and Guerrilla Games promptly started developing its sequel, with the PlayStation 5 as their primary target platform. Following the launch of The Frozen Wilds expansion pack and the Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition in late 2017, the PlayStation 4 had nearly completed its lifespan, and Sony executives and developers were already thinking about future hardware to create their next exceptional games. Work on Horizon Forbidden West began in 2018, and initially, Guerrilla planned to launch Forbidden West on both PS4 and PS5 systems. However, the aging hardware of the PS4 hindered Guerrilla’s ambition to broaden the series with enhanced gameplay and visual aspects.

In Horizon Forbidden West, the developers nearly abandoned the use of the pterosaur-like Sunwing aircraft for aerial exploration because of the PS4’s hardware constraints. Although Guerrilla successfully maintained the core gameplay and fundamental visuals on the PS4 when the game was released in 2022, they stretched the capabilities of the nine-year-old system to its maximum. Unfortunately, not every aspect of Horizon Forbidden West, such as the 2023 expansion Burning Shores and the complete edition, were included in the PS4 version. This upset many players since there was a global chip shortage at that time, which hindered the production of PS5 consoles, making it difficult for Horizon fans in 2023 who only owned PS4 consoles to access these additional contents.

Horizon 3’s Potential Launch

Presently, Guerrilla Games is engaged in developing a narrative-driven multiplayer spin-off of Horizon, post the release of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures. Since 2022, Sony and Guerrilla have been concentrating on expanding the Horizon universe through spin-offs like the 2023 upcoming game Horizon Call of the Mountain, as well as porting the series to new platforms such as PC and Nintendo Switch for LEGO Horizon Adventures. It remains unclear if preparations for the mainline Horizon 3 have started, but given that Guerrilla is currently working on multiple spin-offs and possibly involved in the production of Columbia Pictures’ Horizon Zero Dawn film, a launch for Horizon 3 may still be some years off.

If rumors about the PS6’s debut in late 2027 are accurate, that timeline could be ideal for launching or shortly following it with the third major Horizon game. It would be beneficial for Guerrilla Games to aim for Horizon 3 to be a full exclusive for the PS6. This way, they can avoid any limitations posed by the aging hardware of the PS5 and ensure that no content is divided between two console generations. If Horizon 3 is intended as a launch title for the PS6, there’s an opportunity for Guerrilla Games and Sony to release a limited edition Horizon-themed PS6 console to mark the conclusion of the mainline Horizon series.

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2025-08-02 19:03