Horizon Forbidden West Delay Helped Avoid Crunch, Says Director

Horizon Forbidden West is out now, after a long wait due to its delay out of the original 2021 launch window. That decision was made in part to avoid forcing the development team to crunch, according to game director Mathijs de Jonge.

"That happens very rarely with us. We are aware of the disadvantages of crunching, so we take this into account a lot in our planning," de Jonge told the Dutch newspaper Nu (via The Gamer). "Of course, those who are willing to continue working on holidays are allowed to, but there's always a very clear position from the company that you don't have to.

"Forbidden West might have been released at the end of last year, but then we might have had to work overtime. People should also be able to relax and take a vacation, [and] to be with family and friends. That also played a part in the decision to release the game now."

De Jonge had cited "prioritizing a healthy work/life balance" when he announced the delay in August, but this is a more direct acknowledgment that the studio could have made its 2021 target if it had crunched. That wasn't the only reason, of course, as de Jonge also cited remote work due to the pandemic.

That delay wasn't without consequence for Sony, as pushing it out of 2021 meant it technically was no longer a "launch window" game for the PS5. Sony had previously committed to offering free PS4-to-PS5 upgrades for all games within the PS5 launch window, and with Horizon no longer part of that line-up it briefly said players would need to pay the extra to upgrade. But after pushback from fans Sony reversed that decision. Still, the upgrade path has been at times confusing, most recently with the revelation that players could not pre-load the PS5 version if they bought the cheaper PS4 version, and would have to wait until launch to redeem the upgrade offer.

For more, read GameSpot's Horizon Forbidden West review, and you can refresh your memory of the first game with our Horizon Zero Dawn plot recap. And be sure to check out our multitude of guides, including (but definitely not limited to) beginner's tips, legendary weapons guide, and cauldrons guide.