Guerrilla Games has suddenly gone into overdrive to seek suitable candidates for an ambitious open-world project that can only be Horizon Zero Dawn 2.
Following a critically acclaimed launch of the original, which ultimately received multiple accolades, Aloy and her adventures through a post-apocalyptic land ruled by robotic creatures earned the right to be called a franchise. Hence, a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn (preferably direct) was always on the cards, and something that has often been discussed in the past couple of years.
Guerrilla Games has posted a number of key positions on its official LinkedIn profile in the past month alone. These include vacancies for a senior art producer, senior quest designer, senior character animator, senior lighting artist, character art director, and lead game designer. Even more interesting is that some of the job descriptions mention a “living world” enveloped with vegetation.
It’s becoming clearer that the Amsterdam-based company has stepped on the gas for its next-generation entry. Considering the anticipation around Horizon Zero Dawn 2, it’s unlikely that Guerrilla Games would be working on anything else. Moreover, if we consider the pace of hiring, it could also mean that they are trying to make Zero Dawn 2 as the launch title for PlayStation 5. Also, there are the rumors that support the same presumption.
Back in December 2018, an anonymous third-party developer from Europe claimed that GTA 6 would be releasing on PlayStation 5 during the holiday season of 2020. The same leak also contained information about the PlayStation 4 successor that Sony officially confirmed through a series of minor reveals in the months to follow. Hence, why people have started looking back at the leak with newfound respect and rummaging through what else could be true.
In relation to Horizon Zero Dawn, the source mentioned that Horizon Zero Dawn 2 has been slated to launch in either late 2020 or early 2021 for PlayStation 5. Strangely enough, the leak labelled the sequel as a non-exclusive release. Guerrilla Games is a first-party studio and subsidiary wholly owned by Sony. It wouldn’t be possible for Horizon Zero Dawn 2 to land on the next-generation Xbox console unless the non-exclusivity means the sequel is coming to PC as well.
It’s a rumor after all and not everything needs to come true. On the same note, actress Janina Gavankar who played Tatai in The Frozen Wilds expansion of Horizon Zero Dawn dropped a little teaser earlier this year by claiming to know some “secrets” about Horizon Zero Dawn 2. She called the sequel “incredible” and stated that it will blow everyone away.
Whatever the case, Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is definitely in the pipelines for PlayStation 5. Guerrilla Games isn’t just twiddling its thumbs while the current generation draws to a close.
Not to mention that Hideo Kojima developed Death Stranding on Guerrilla Games’ Decima engine. There are likely improvements here that could be used for Horizon Zero Dawn 2.
