Both worlds are interesting, to say the least, which makes the series prime material for spin-off titles if not a movie or a TV series. With that said, it appears that Sony and its latest acquisition, Firesprite, is working on a VR game set in the same universe as Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.
Is Firesprite working on a Horizon VR game?
Sony has been on an quiet acquisition spree of late. Earlier this year, Sony acquired Housemarque and Nixxes Software. Meanwhile, there are rumors that Sony is making moves to include Bluepoint Games as part of the PlayStation Studios family. At this point, Sony’s acquisition of Bluepoint remains unconfirmed, the Japanese company announced a little over a week ago that Firesprite is joining its long list of first-party studios. Since then, several details about Firesprite’s first projects under the PlayStation Studios banner have emerged. In fact, eagle-eyed observers noticed interesting job listings for four games on Firesprite’s website. In particular, one of these listings was for a VR game “adapted from one of the most original and successful multimillion-selling console IP titles in the last 10 years.” Of course, the listing doesn’t outright name the Horizon games, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what the description means. In case you needed further proof, XboxEra co-founder Nick Baker mentioned in a recent podcast that insider sources have told him that Firesprite is indeed working on a Horizon VR game that’s exclusive for the PSVR 2 headset. If this is true, then it would definitely make sense. Horizon Forbidden West might see the conclusion of Aloy’s story. A VR game would help audiences explore the world of Horizon even further, especially if it’s a standalone title. In addition to the unannounced Horizon VR game, Firesprite is also working on multiple projects. At the moment, the studio is hiring for more than 40 positions. Among these projects include Star Citizen: Theaters of War; a partnership with a “respected client to expand the live ops pipeline of their already established title”; a “multi-platform next-generation action shooter experience with a heavy focus on Games as a Service” and a narrative-driven game with “atmosphere, storytelling, player agency, and narrative firmly into ground-breaking territory”. To say that Firesprite’s lineup of future projects is ambitious is only fitting. It also matches what PlayStation Studios head, Hermen Hulst, said in the acquisition announcement about expecting a different kind of game from Firesprite.
