Horizon (video game series)
A post-apocalyptic franchise following clone Aloy through machine-overrun ruins.
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). It has expanded to comic books, Lego sets, tabletop games, and upcoming entries including an MMORPG and a cooperative multiplayer game, as well as a feature film adaptation. The series has sold over 40 million units worldwide as of November 2025, making it one of Sony's best-selling first-party properties.
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 follows Aloy, a young Nora tribe huntress and a clone of 21st-century scientist Elisabet Sobeck, as she uncovers secrets of the ancient past and stops recurring extinction-level threats. The series originated from a concept by art director Jan-Bart van Beek. The gameplay involves exploring an open world where nature has reclaimed ruins of human civilization, now overrun by animal-like machines. Players hunt and battle machines using stealth and tribal weaponry, aided by an augmented reality device called a Focus, and navigate conflicts between human tribal societies. The franchise was originally developed as an exclusive for PlayStation consoles but has since expanded to Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch, with mobile platforms upcoming.
Reader's Guide
The Horizon franchise has received mostly positive critical and commercial reception, winning numerous industry awards particularly for its tactical combat, worldbuilding, and visual fidelity. Scholars have analyzed the games' environmental ethics and focus on the 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 includes two main games and two spin-offs, with upcoming entries including Horizon Steel Frontiers, a free-to-play MMORPG set in a new southern region called the Deadlands, and Horizon Hunters Gathering, a cooperative action game set after Forbidden West. A feature film adaptation of Zero Dawn is in development. The franchise has also been adapted into comic books, Lego sets, and tabletop games, and Aloy has appeared in other video games such as Monster Hunter: World, Fortnite Battle Royale, Genshin Impact, and Fall Guys.
Did You Know?
- The franchise includes a virtual reality spin-off, Horizon Call of the Mountain, released as a launch title for PlayStation VR2.
- Lego Horizon Adventures is a family-friendly retelling of Zero Dawn featuring Lego aesthetics and slapstick humor.
- Horizon Steel Frontiers is the first game in the series not released on a PlayStation console, planned for Windows, Android, and iOS.
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