Horizon (video game series)
Post-apocalyptic open-world series blending tribal combat and machine hunting.
Horizon is a science fiction franchise set in a 31st-century post-apocalyptic version of the United States, primarily consisting of action role-playing games. The franchise includes two main games, Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Horizon Forbidden West (2022), along with spin-offs such as Horizon Call of the Mountain (2023) and Lego Horizon Adventures (2024). The series follows Aloy, a young Nora tribe huntress and clone of 21st-century scientist Elisabet Sobeck, as she uncovers secrets of the ancient past and confronts extinction-level threats. Developed predominantly by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the franchise has expanded from PlayStation exclusivity to Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and soon mobile platforms.
- first_release
- Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
- developer
- Guerrilla Games
- publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- genre
- Action role-playing, open world
- platforms
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
- units_sold
- Over 40 million worldwide as of November 2025
- notable_character
- Aloy
Quick Facts
- Title
- Horizon
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment / NCHorizon Steel Frontiers
- Creator
- Jan-Bart van Beek
- Producer
- Lambert Wolterbeek Muller · Joel Eschler · Angie Smets
- Artist
- Jan-Bart van Beek · Misja Baas · Rob Sutton · Roy Postma · Paul Ayliffe
- Writer
- Ben McCaw · Ben Schroder · Anne Toole · Annie Kitain · Ariadna Martinez · Nick van Sameren Brand · Emil Cholich · Laura Young · Lisa Witmond
- Composer
- Joris de Man · The Flight · Niels van der Leest · Jonathan Williams · Oleksa Lozowchuk · Homay Schmitz
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Microsoft Windows / Nintendo Switch / Android / iOS
- First Release Version
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- First Release Date
- 28 February 2017
- Latest Release Version
- Lego Horizon Adventures
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The narrative of Horizon centers on Aloy, a huntress of the Nora tribe who discovers she is a clone of Elisabet Sobeck, a scientist from the 21st century. The old world was destroyed by a plague of self-replicating military robots created by Faro Automated Solutions, leading Sobeck to create Project Zero Dawn, an AI system called GAIA designed to restore life. Aloy battles rogue AI subfunctions such as HADES and HEPHAESTUS, and later faces the Far Zeniths, technologically advanced humans who fled Earth and returned to steal a copy of GAIA. The story expands in Forbidden West to include Nemesis, a vengeful AI heading toward Earth.
Reader's Guide
The Horizon franchise has received mostly positive critical and commercial reception, winning numerous industry awards for its tactical combat, worldbuilding, and visual fidelity. Scholars have analyzed the games' environmental ethics and focus on symbiosis between humanity and nature. As of November 2025, the franchise has sold over 40 million units worldwide, making it one of Sony's best-selling first-party properties. The series originated from a concept by art director Jan-Bart van Beek and is predominantly developed by Guerrilla Games. It has expanded into comic books, Lego sets, tabletop games, and an upcoming feature film adaptation of Zero Dawn. Upcoming entries include Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMORPG, and Horizon Hunters Gathering, a cooperative multiplayer game.
Did You Know?
- The franchise includes two spin-off games: Horizon Call of the Mountain (2023), a virtual reality game, and Lego Horizon Adventures (2024), a family-friendly retelling of Zero Dawn.
- Aloy appears as a playable character in Monster Hunter: World, Fortnite Battle Royale, Genshin Impact, and Fall Guys.
- Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, released in 2024, enhances audio and facial animation but largely retains the original dialogue and performances without extensive re-recording.
- Lego Horizon Adventures (2024) was released on Nintendo Switch, making it the first game in the series to launch on a non-PlayStation platform.
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