Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is a Good Bet for Sony’s PS5 Event

• Sony will host its long-awaited PS5 showcase next Thursday, June 4.
• A sizable selection of first-party and third-party titles are reportedly on the bill.
• Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is likely to feature in Sony’s hour-long event.

With a firm date penciled in the diary for Sony’s long-awaited PS5 event, attentions now turn to what games the platform holder plans to showcase.

With Sony confirming that the event is but one of a succession of info drops in the months ahead, the gaming giant will want to ensure it makes a splash next week.

News that Sony will not reveal all about the console and even reports that it may share the PS5 design beforehand suggest the onus will be on the games to make this a memorable event for would-be PS5 owners.

First-Party and Third-Party Games

According to multiple reports, the PS5 showcase will feature an impressive line-up of games from both first-party and third-party developers. Sony went as far as to request that participants go to lengths to ensure games are demonstrated on the hardware, presumably to avoid an Xbox-style fiasco like we saw last month.

In a tweet published Friday, Bloomberg News’ Jason Schreier, who was among the first to push early June as the window for Sony’s event, speculates as much.

I’d expect both first- and third-party games at the PS5 event, and I def wouldn’t expect every single detail on the machine (doubt they’ll mention price yet).

With such a focus on games to carry the event, Sony will need to come out all guns blazing. What better way to do just that than by dipping into its overflowing pool of first-party developers and pluck out a sequel to an acclaimed PlayStation 4 exclusive, say Horizon Zero Dawn 2, rendered in stunning next-gen detail.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2

Rumors that developer Guerilla Games is hard at work on a sequel are nothing new with a flurry of hires in recent months and all-but official confirmation from sources close to the project.

Many fans have earmarked Horizon Zero Dawn 2 as a prime candidate to usher in the PS5 era. Maybe not as a launch title, but shortly after that, possibly in early 2021.

The timing would also be ideal with both Sony capitalizing on the acclaim and appetite for the franchise to introduce the new console.

Guerilla released the original three years ago, allowing sufficient time for significant advancements in the production of a sequel. This is especially pertinent, if the game doesn’t release until next year.

Horizon Zero Dawn lead animator Richard Oud, also hinted that Horizon Zero Dawn could debut during next week’s event. The lead animator swiftly deleted the tweet, but the message was clear – fans won’t want to miss this one. Had Oud said too much? The hasty delete certainly implies as much.

Of course, this is unequivocally speculative and Oud didn’t outright mention or hint at Horizon Zero Dawn 2. Yet, a pivotal cog in the Guerilla Games edifice prompting fans to tune in certainly suggests the developer has something to show off.

Don’t be surprised if Sony treats us to a Horizon Zero Dawn 2 reveal trailer during its hour-long showcase on Thursday.