Early days of development

Meanwhile, we were working hard in the Netherlands – some of us making Game Boy Color games. We were called Lost Boys, we were scrappy, maybe flying by the seat of our pants a little, but we were also ambitious. So, when the opportunity came up to create these new experiences that push boundaries and steer the industry, we grabbed it with both hands.

It was a time of experimentation, and it was exciting to be at the forefront of innovative, interactive technology. I think it’s clear that’s still in our DNA – in Decima, especially.

As Guerrilla, we made a lot of work for ourselves right off the bat, creating 3D immersive games with Shellshock: Nam ‘67 and Killzone. Unexpectedly, our small studio was quickly catapulted to the global stage. Killzone’s gritty galactic war captured the imagination of gamers, and we were proud of having made a mark in the industry and having developed a first-person shooter for Sony.

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It wasn’t long until we jumped to work on the sequel. By this time, consoles were taking the world by storm, and PS2 players especially. By that point, we knew what we were doing a little bit more, and Killzone 2 raised the quality bar for us. It’s nice to see it considered a ‘classic’ of that generation – even if it makes me feel a little old reading that back.

Around when the PlayStation 3 console was launching, we became a first-party studio for Sony. They were really supportive of our creative visions, and their new technology was, as always, best-in-class. We experimented with the latest tech, like the PlayStation Move motion controllers, and we expanded the world of Killzone into handheld experiences.

This period was truly one of growth for us at Guerrilla in every sense. We navigated what it meant to be a first-party studio for Sony, growing and having visibility on the global stage. We were regularly producing games. They were popular. But it only pushed us into wanting to spread our creative wings, staying true to the motivation of our early years.

A new generation for Guerrilla

By the time we released Killzone Shadow Fall (2013) for the PS4, we were at a turning point. We had been developing Killzone successfully for almost ten years, and putting that aside was obviously a little scary. But we were feeling the itch to do something new, unlike anything we’d done before.

The whole story of how Horizon came to be is (flatteringly) covered in a Noclip documentary. Essentially, we opened the floor to the team. We asked the team what they wanted to make.

We knew it had to be incredible, stunning, and hopeful. Horizon itself really came from a visual idea of these primitive tribes, fighting to survive in a lush landscape dominated by great machines, long after the collapse of our current civilization. And we wanted an iconic franchise-worthy protagonist. The pitch had all of that. But the details of the story came later.

When production ended, even though we were proud of what we were creating with Horizon Zero Dawn, we all felt that sort of anxiety. Once you show it to the world, will people like it? Will they hate it?

The first sign that we might really have something was when Hermen Hulst (then managing director of Guerrilla, now head of PlayStation Studios) revealed the first trailer.

Let’s imagine this: E3 in 2015. Behind the scenes, we had been secretly working on Horizon Zero Dawn for several years – but now we were going to show it to the world. As we were waiting in line to get into the 5000-seat hall where PlayStation events were held, I turned to Hermen and said, “What if it doesn’t work? What if the whole idea of cave people fighting robot dinosaurs is just too silly?”

Hermen looked at me with a big grin and as he stepped into the event hall said, “Well, too late to worry about that!”

As the trailer played, we were glued to the live reaction – and totally floored by the passionate response.

Since Horizon Zero Dawn, our journey with Aloy has grown. With Forbidden West, we looked at every aspect of the first game and improved it. I think you can see that hard work in the excitement from fans since the launch. But during production, we were growing so much as a team and as a studio.

At one point, it was pretty clear we’d outgrown our beloved, almost-collapsing, canal-house office on the Herengracht; we had to have two diesel generators craned in because the building’s infrastructure just couldn’t support all our machines as well as air conditioning.

Growing into a positive future

Our studio’s grown from those early scrappy days to a massive group of hundreds of talented developers. And with us, the world of Horizon has also grown. Players have come face-to-face with our awe-inspiring machines in VR with Call of the Mountain. Comic books and board games are expanding the world. It’s truly humbling.

Of course, we can’t overlook the significant impact that our dedicated community has had on our games, studio, and people over the years. Guerrilla wouldn’t be where it is today without the support of our players.

As of April 16, 2023, the Horizon franchise has sold through more than 32.7 million units worldwide, of which Horizon Forbidden West has sold through over 8.4 million units. Millions more around the world have discovered Horizon thanks to PlayStation’s subscription services and initiatives, including PlayStation Plus, and Play at Home. All told, it’s a milestone we never imagined possible twenty years ago when we first started making games.

This reception has been staggering, and we’re grateful to the community for the continued love and support for the franchise. We Guerrillas feel lucky to witness that support every day: we share community fanart and the cosplay. I want you all to know we are completely blown away by your enthusiasm.

Last of all, I’d like to share that we are so excited that Aloy’s adventures will continue. Her latest mission takes her to the ruins of Los Angeles in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, and we can’t wait for you to find out where she’ll go next.

Thank you for being on this incredible journey with us for the past 20 years. Here’s to the next 20!

Stepping into the world of Horizon and exploring it from a true first-person perspective is spectacular. Players will interact with the world in a more immersive way than ever before, down to the tiniest detail. Even subtle sensations, like running your hands through a flowing stream, or the tension when you pull back your bow string, can be felt by players through the PS VR2 Sense controllers’ precise haptics.  

The journey itself takes place between two quests in Horizon Zero Dawn, transporting players into the shoes (well, climbing gloves) of Master Climber and disgraced Shadow Carja soldier, Ryas. Imprisoned, he hopes to earn his freedom and redemption by investigating a mysterious new threat to the Sundom and the world. 

The team did a fantastic job crafting these majestic and deceptively peaceful wilds where deadly machines could lurk around any corner. Players will feel an incredible sense of presence in this wilderness thanks to the PS VR2’s incredibly clear 4K HDR displays and 110-degree field of view. And beyond the environment, there’s truly nothing like seeing Horizon’s awe-inspiring machines up close. 

Taking on these ferocious machines will have our players calling on every skill they’ve learned throughout their playthrough, with every attack feeling critical. We’re looking forward to seeing how our community faces up to these formidable challenges.  

While combat with deadly machines will make players’ hearts race, the sheer spectacle of Horizon’s striking environments, viewed from the high vantage only a Master Climber could reach, will stop players in their tracks as they take it all in. 

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We thank the exceptional team at Firesprite for joining us on this wonderful adventure to create a new addition to the Horizon franchise and for all of their expertise and talent. We are proud of the story we have created together.  

We’d also like to thank our brilliant cast and crew, the tremendous people at PlayStation Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment, and all Guerrillas for all of their support and, of course, our wonderful community, who inspire us to keep making new adventures.  

We hope you enjoy exploring the wilds through the eyes of Ryas.  

“You have walked in the shadows, Ryas. Now, it is time to climb into the light.” 

Created for PlayStation VR2, this unique experience has been designed to push hardware technology, innovation, and gameplay. The stunning visuals and brand-new PS VR2 Sense controllers give a new meaning to being fully immersed into the world of Horizon.

We don’t want to reveal too much just yet, but this story will be told through the eyes of an entirely new character. You will also meet Aloy, other familiar faces, and new characters along the way, and we’ll be introducing you to the protagonist of Horizon Call of the Mountain soon.

We’re looking forward to welcoming VR fans into our wonderful Horizon community, and giving you all an unforgettable experience. Horizon Call of the Mountain has been proudly developed with the team at Firesprite, and we’ll soon be revealing more about what you can expect from the game. Until then, check out the teaser trailer!

Horizon Raw Materials Apparel by Insert Coin

Insert Coin is one of the leading names in high quality video game inspired apparel, so we were thrilled to join forces with them for a range of exclusive, officially licensed wares. Take a look at their hot new Horizon Raw Materials clothing line inspired by Horizon Forbidden West:

Aloy 2.0: Cord Sherpa Jacket

Pre-order starts July 10 @ 8AM PT / 4PM BST

Price: GBP £84.99*, USD $95 (approx.)**

Ships to US, Canada, Europe (excluding Russia), Australia, New Zealand 

Focus: Beanie & Pin Set

Pre-order starts July 10  @ 8 AM PT / 4PM BST

Price: GBP £27.99*, USD $32 (approx.)**

Ships to US, Canada, Europe (excluding Russia), Australia, New Zealand

Tremortusk: Striped Short Sleeve Tee

Pre-order starts July 10  @ 8 AM PT / 4PM BST

Price: GBP £23.99*, USD $27 (approx.)**

Ships to US, Canada, Europe (excluding Russia), Australia, New Zealand

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game

Successfully funded on Kickstarter in less than two hours, the eagerly awaited Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game by Steamforged Games is now nearing completion. If you missed out on the Kickstarter campaign, there’s still time to put in a limited edition all-in pledge that gives you access to the core game (pictured below), all ten expansion packs, AND the Kickstarter-exclusive miniatures via the Steamforged Games web store. The core game is slated to ship in November 2020, with additional expansion packs shipping in July 2021.

Available to pre-order now, until July 16, 2020, 4pm PST / July 17, 2020, 12am BST 

Price: USD $360*, EUR €315.00*, GBP £280.00*

Ships to US, Canada, Europe (excluding Russia and Ukraine), Australia, New Zealand

We’ve had a lot of fun playing the game during Steamforged Games’ visit to the Guerrilla studio:

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Horizon Zero Dawn Comic Book Series

Published by Titan Comics, the Horizon Zero Dawn comic book spin-off by artist Ann Maulina and writer Anne Toole takes place after the events of the original game, and focuses on the skilled Carja hunter Talanah. The title will be part of Free Comic Book Day, with a special FCBD issue set to hit comic book stores on July 22.

Issue #1 in the series will feature beautiful variant covers from Ann Maulina, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Peach Momoko and Lois van Baarle, and will be released on August 5.

Available to pre-order now until August 5

Price: USD $8*or $3.99* for digital copy, EUR €3.99 (approx.)**,  GBP £2.65 (approx.)**

Available in US & CAN, UK & Europe, digitally worldwide, and at Comic Book Retailers Worldwide

For more insight into how we’re bringing the world of Horizon to the medium of comics, be sure to check out this interview with Studio Director/Art Director Jan-Bart van Beek and Narrative Director Ben McCaw:

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Also, don’t miss the special spotlight panel recorded for Comic-Con@Home 2020 and featuring the full creative team behind the comic book series, which will air on July 23 at 2pm PDT / 10pm BST / 11pm CEST!

Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West Music Releases

To celebrate the upcoming launch of Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for PC, Republic of Music will release a limited re-issue of the award-winning Horizon Zero Dawn soundtrack by composers Joris de Man, The Flight, Jonathan Williams, Niels van der Leest and the Guerrilla Audio Team in September. If you weren’t able to get your hands on this highly collectible 4-disc vinyl soundtrack the first time around, now’s your chance as it’s available for pre-order now!

Available to pre-order now until sold out (white edition strictly limited to 500 copies)

Price: GBP £50* 

Worldwide Shipping

Different colour variant available later this year at select retailers

And speaking of Horizon soundtracks, we have good news for those of you who can’t get enough of the theme song from the Horizon Forbidden West announcement trailer! Composed by Joris de Man and featuring the angelic vocals of Julie Elven, the track “Promise of the West” is available now for streaming and purchase on all major digital music channels in collaboration with our friends at Sony Masterworks.

As you can probably tell from the lineup above, it’s a great time to be a Horizon fan. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though — we have many more exciting Horizon Raw Materials updates planned for the future, so stay tuned to the PlayStation Blog and Guerrilla’s Twitter account for the latest news!

*Recommended retail price plus applicable tax and shipping.
**Plus applicable tax and shipping. Prices may vary based on daily conversion rate.