How many years later is Horizon Forbidden West? – when it is set, explained

In Horizon Zero Dawn, fans will play as the protagonist Aloy as she traverses the world looking for answers from the past while trying to stop a threat known as HADES. The events of Horizon Zero Dawn start in 3020 and take place roughly 1,000 years ahead of current time. Humans have succumbed to a man-made threat and society is set back. Most of Horizon Zero Dawn's gameplay will take place around the year 3040, when Aloy is 19-20 years old.

Based on some of Horizon Forbidden West's trailers, it is clear that Aloy hasn't aged much. While some fans originally speculated that much time had passed due to Aloy's appearance, it could be understood from the dialogue that it hadn't been long since Aloy had defeated HADES.

Related: Who do you play as in Horizon Forbidden West?

The original trailers for the game feature a line spoken by Aloy in which she references the "Old Ones," which is what she calls the humans of the past, and how their civilization fell 1,000 years ago. While she isn't being overly precise in her estimation, clearly not much time has passed since the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. Through voice lines and the appearance of most of the main characters, it can be assumed that Horizon Forbidden West takes place anywhere from six months to a year after Horizon Zero Dawn.

Want to read more about Horizon Forbidden West? Check out Sony reveals details on Horizon Forbidden West’s new features and weapons on Pro Game Guides!