Guerrilla Games' PlayStation 4 exclusive title Horizon: Zero Dawn is rumored to have been delayed out of 2016 and into 2017, though the cause is unknown.
The PlayStation 4's highlight of the 2016 holiday season, Horizon: Zero Dawn, looks to have missed a step somewhere in development. The word on the street is, according to reliable NeoGAF rumor monger Shinobi602, that the post-apocalyptic action adventure game's release date has now slipped into 2017. Whether the delay has anything to do with the recent rumor of a pending PlayStation 4 hardware upgrade releasing in late 2016 is unclear.
No details were mentioned regarding the cause of the delay, which is understandable considering the news is completely unofficial at this point in time. The last time Horizon: Zero Dawn was shown to the public, which was about 6 months ago, only a brief glimpse of gameplay was teased. With the title yet to be shown again in 2016, there are any number of possibilities for a delay into 2016.
It's best to remember that a Horizon: Zero Dawn delay was first rumored in 2015, shortly after the game's debut. A designer from Guerrilla Games told a German news source that the title was planned for 2016, but Guerrilla was quick to correct the statement and maintain the game's targeted 2016 release date. Perhaps the two delays are entirely unrelated, but it gives credence to the idea that there was perhaps some internal disagreement on when the game would be ready for release.
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Often the simplest answer is often the correct one, meaning that perhaps Horizon: Zero Dawn hit a development snag and it simply won't be ready in time for a late 2016 launch. It happens all the time. Yet if there was a time to speculate on more complicated causes of a delay, now would be the time. That would be because Sony appears to be creating a complicated situation for the PlayStation 4. Of course, this is a reference to the rumored PlayStation 4 hardware upgrade.
The PlayStation 4 hardware upgrade is rumored to be revealed at E3 this year, with a planned late 2016 launch date. Its powerful new hardware will allow for more impressive graphics from its games, though the rumor notes that Sony will require all games to continue working on the original PlayStation 4 and the hardware upgrade will receive no exclusive content beyond the updated visuals. What this means, however, is that developers will be required to prepare their games for two different platforms. Additional development time, especially for a PlayStation 4 exclusive like Horizon: Zero Dawn, should be expected.
Whether it's a matter of simple development hitches, additional time necessary to update the game for the PlayStation 4 hardware upgrade, or something innocuous like making room in the schedule for The Last Guardian to shine, a delay is a delay. That being said, a rumor is also a rumor, so take this delay reveal with a grain of salt until either Sony or Guerrilla Games makes it official.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a PlayStation 4 exclusive from Guerrilla Games originally slated for a late 2016 launch, but rumored to now be delayed into 2017.
Source: Twitter