Original Horizon Zero Dawn removed from PC storefronts ahead of upcoming remaster requiring PSN

Sony’s recent strategy to port PlayStation exclusives to PC comes with a significant requirement for players to create and log in to a PlayStation Network account. This change has drawn considerable criticism from gamers, particularly with the latest title to receive this shift: Horizon Zero Dawn. Developed by Guerrilla Games, this single-player adventure from 2017 is now poised for a remastered version. In anticipation of its release, Sony has removed the original game from all PC retail platforms.

The store listings for Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition on Steam and the Epic Games Store currently do not include a purchase option. Instead, these pages redirect users to the newly announced Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered version, as well as the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. Interestingly, unlike the remastered title, the sequel does not have a PlayStation Network account requirement.

This account requirement effectively blocks the purchase of Horizon Zero Dawn in over a hundred countries. This is a result of Sony’s earlier decision to withdraw games that necessitate a PlayStation Network account from any regions without official platform support.

Despite being single-player experiences, Sony’s PC adaptations of games like God of War Ragnarök and the recently launched Until Dawn remake also come with this limitation. Helldivers 2 initially imposed the same restriction but was later adjusted following intense backlash. However, the countries lacking PlayStation Network support are still unable to access these games.

Interestingly, the DRM-free platform GOG continues to offer Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for sale. This remains available as the remastered version will not be released on this storefront. However, there is a notable change: the original game’s price has been increased from $19.99 to $49.99, aligning with the price of the remastered edition, likely intended to steer players away from this older version.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is set to launch on PlayStation 5 and PC on October 31 for $49.99. Players who own the original game in supported regions can upgrade to this new version for a discounted fee of $10.

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