How Horizon 3’s Tribes Might Evolve from Zero Dawn and Forbidden West

With the completion and release of both Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures, Guerrilla Games seems set to shift its focus more heavily onto developing the as-yet-unnamed Horizon multiplayer game and the much-anticipated Horizon 3. Following the 2022 hit Horizon Forbidden West and the subsequent Burning Shores expansion in 2023, fans have been buzzing with theories about how this epic trilogy might conclude. Some speculate that Aloy could journey across the Pacific to enlist the aid of the sophisticated Quen Empire, while others imagine Sylens harnessing old 21st-century tech in a last-ditch effort against Nemesis. Yet, there’s a compelling possibility that Guerrilla Games might choose to delve deeper into the existing tribes’ reactions to humanity’s past rather than introducing new ones.

Ever since Ted Faro infamously wiped out the APOLLO subroutine from Project: Zero Dawn millennia ago, humanity has been largely locked in a primitive state. Despite the remnants of 21st-century marvels and towering metallic beasts dotting the landscape, the absence of historical data forced early communities to concoct their own interpretations of the world, much like ancient humans did in the pre-modern era. This led to the secluded Nora worshipping automated announcements as the divine All-Mother and the Carja venerating the sun as a deity. Many tribes perceived robots and AI as wicked entities that chastised their ancestors, given they had no context for the ruins.

Not every society was left entirely unenlightened, however. The ancient Quen managed to unearth a collection of Focus devices, providing them with limited access to old-world insights, which they used to build a technologically advanced empire. The Tenakth gained military knowledge and structures by studying historical museum displays. Similarly, the Oseram restored elements of old-world technology, including using Las Vegas’s holographic displays as a basis for their innovations. Scattered Focus devices have also facilitated some tribesmen like Sylens in the original Horizon Zero Dawn to connect with surviving ancient world sites.

Throughout Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, Aloy has progressively gained concrete knowledge about the old world, aided by her Focus, insights from Sylens, and her unique status as a genetic clone of Dr. Elisabet Sobeck, the mastermind behind Project: Zero Dawn. By the conclusion of Forbidden West, Aloy and her band of allies had successfully obtained a copy of APOLLO from the extraterrestrial Far Zenith group, enabling them to reintegrate its data with the Project: Zero Dawn command A.I., GAIA. This opened up new avenues for uncovering humanity’s history, crucial for strategizing against the looming threat of Nemesis. In the Burning Shores expansion, Erend is seen planning to share Focus devices with the Oseram, equipping them for the impending battle against Nemesis.

However, while Erend and the rest of Aloy’s allies may mean well by spreading ancient knowledge among their tribes, this newfound enlightenment could bring about fresh challenges and conflicts with those who already exist. Most post-apocalyptic communities are deeply entrenched in their centuries-old customs and might not take kindly to the idea that their longstanding beliefs are built on misconceptions. Authority figures such as the religious Sun Priests of the Utaru and Carja might resist old-world knowledge, fearing the dismantling of their power if their sacred figures are debunked.

The Quen are likely to be particularly resistant to this revelation of knowledge, as their society, while committed to the recovery of ancient wisdom, functions under an authoritarian system where only the elite have access to old-world data. They might actively oppose Aloy’s drive to educate others, fearing it would crumble their social order. Conversely, the Oseram and Tenakth may embrace these revelations, seeing them as a means to enhance their technology and tactics. Despite Aloy proving her value repeatedly throughout the series, she might still face underlying social prejudices in Horizon 3 while seeking the tribes’ support to thwart Nemesis.

In the Horizon universe, we’ve encountered seven distinct tribes: the Nora, Carja, Oseram, Banuk, Utaru, Tenakth, and Quen, each contributing uniquely to the lore and challenges Aloy faces as she bravely explores this richly detailed world.