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Guerrilla Games Indirectly Confirms PlayStation’s Horizon Zero Dawn 2

Last Updated September 23, 2020 1:15 PM
Thomas Bardwell
Last Updated September 23, 2020 1:15 PM
  • Guerrilla Games is hiring artists to work on the Horizon franchise.
  • The job listing is the most formal confirmation to date that a sequel is in development.
  • Guerrilla Games may be gearing up for an announcement at E3 2020.

A sequel to the acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn is among the gaming industry’s worst kept secrets. The success of the original coupled with a few hints dropped by voice actor Janina Gavankar  (who voiced Tatai in The Frozen Wilds DLC) makes it more a question of when, than if, we’ll get a follow-up.

In a job listing on its website, developer Guerrilla Games has seemingly added fuel to the fire. The Killzone developer has delivered the most formal acknowledgment to date that the game is well and truly in development.

Guerilla Games Indirectly Confirms Horizon Zero Dawn 2
Source: Horizon Zero Dawn – The Frozen Wilds/Guerilla Games

Technical Vegetation Artist For ‘Horizon’

Among the job listing is one that makes explicitly mention of the Horizon Zero Dawn franchise. Guerilla Games is hiring a Technical Vegetation Artist, which makes sense given the lush, verdant expanses of the original. The listing reads;

Within Guerrilla, we have four teams dedicated to creating the stunning environments of Horizon. One team focuses on the creation of lush and stunning vegetation.

While the listing lacks a direct reference to Horizon Zero Dawn 2, or whatever name the developer chooses for the sequel, the fact it is working on ‘Horizon’ says a lot. Guerilla is unlikely to be working on another DLC this long after the launch of the game. The Frozen Wilds released a few days shy of two years ago. Logic dictates ‘Horizon’ means a sequel. In our estimation, this is the developer indirectly confirming the next entry in the franchise.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2 Reveal At E3 2020?

Before we get too excited, Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is presumably a long way off and will more than likely land on the PlayStation 5. We can’t discount a cross-generational release. But, scrutinizing the original’s announcement-to-release pattern, which was revealed at E3 2015 before launching in late February 2017, 2021 or 2022, are likely contenders.

A since-deleted tweet from principal animator Darren Randall mid-way through last month revealed Guerilla Games was working on motion capture with Swedish cinematic trailer gurus Goodbye Kansas .

Although unconfirmed and wildly speculative, this suggests Guerilla may be brewing up a trailer. With eight months to go until E3 2020, the timing seems ripe for a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel announcement at next year’s event. Then again, we may be entirely off the mark as recent rumors hint at a Horizon Zero Dawn VR spin-off.