Horizon 3 is a matter of when, not if, as fans look forward to the future of the franchise. Guerrilla Games is hard at work on the threequel, but fans reasonably shouldn’t expect it for a few more years. This timeline for Horizon 3 might actually be the reason for one of the most controversial choices in the franchise’s history.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered was released in October 2024, and many were unhappy about it. While it was an improvement over the original game, it’s not like the original game had really aged at all since its release in 2017. It had many questioning if this remaster was specifically necessary, especially among other abandoned games in PlayStation’s library. But looking at commentary regarding the PS6 and beyond, it seems like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered was more of a future-proofing move than a cash-grab. There are a handful of reasons for this.
The PlayStation Horizon of 2027 and Beyond
Sony has begun, however rarely, mentioning the PlayStation 6. Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishino mentioned the future of the PlayStation platform is top of mind and that there’s a huge interest in its next-gen console strategy. It is also reported that PS6 is working with AMD for its next-gen hardware. Little mentions here and there are not much to scrutinize right now, but given the typical lifecycle of a console generation, fans can expect more and more PS6 news in the coming years, if not months. Realistically, anywhere from 2027-2029 is a reasonable release for the PS6.
Horizon Release Date Schedule
- Horizon Zero Dawn: February 2017
- Horizon Forbidden West: February 2022
- Horizon Call of the Mountain: February 2023
- Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered: October 2024
- LEGO Horizon Adventures: November 2024
Given Horizon Zero Dawn‘s original release date of 2017 and Horizon Forbidden West‘s 2022 release date, a similar period of 5 years can be expected between Forbidden West and Horizon 3. That puts Horizon 3 releasing around 2027 when Zero Dawn would be ten years old. The Remastered version, however, would only be about six. Since it seems likely that many Zero Dawn characters would return for Horizon 3, it only makes sense that Zero Dawn be a little more updated. This is especially true if Horizon 3 ends up being a PS6 launch title or something of the sort.
Horizon 3’s Decima Engine & Strengthening The Franchise’s Visuals
Beyond that, it’s hard to ignore the capabilities of the Decima Engine. Death Stranding 2 is made on the Decima Engine, the same one as the Horizon franchise, and Horizon 3 would do well to juice the Decima Engine for all its worth. It’s why the original Zero Dawn doesn’t look all that aged to begin with, but improving it every so slightly could help with any visual adjustments that Horizon 3 makes. If Horizon 3 retains its specific art style but achieves similar visual fidelity to Death Stranding 2, then Horizon 3 has a world of potential ahead of it.
Ultimately, of course, this is just speculation. It is possible that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered was just a simple and quick way to make a buck, but even if that were the case, it’s not hard to imagine how useful the remastered version will be in just a few years. As a simple other use, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will likely see some replays when fans prepared for Nemesis’ arrival in Horizon 3.