Whatever Happens in Horizon 3, One Antagonist is Almost Guaranteed to Survive

Horizon 3, the as-of-yet-unnamed sequel to Horizon Forbidden West, is all but guaranteed at this point. The Horizon franchise has been exceedingly popular for Sony, becoming one of its most essential contemporary IP. And as evidenced by LEGO Horizon Adventures and Horizon Call of the Mountain, Sony might be interested in expanding the property beyond its mainline entries, which could have significant ramifications for the series' many distinct characters, conflicts, and organizations.

Spoilers ahead for Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.

One character that will probably continue to play a notable role in future entries is HEPHAESTUS, the rogue AI responsible for arming the Machines and altering them to be hostile to humans. HEPHAESTUS is a subordinate function of GAIA whose role was to fabricate the Machines that would steward the Earth in humanity's wake, and for a while, Hephaestus did just that: it developed docile and productive Machines that would never harm humans, even if attacked first. But eventually, Hephaestus began changing existing Machines to be deadly and aggressive, while creating all-new Machines designed with the explicit aim of death and destruction. The rogue AI is still at large by the time Horizon Forbidden West ends, so there's every chance players will see it again, in Horizon 3 and beyond.

HEPHAESTUS' namesake is the Greek god of metalworking and crafting, which is fitting, considering the AI's prime directives.

Why Horizon's HEPHAESTUS Isn't Going Anywhere

guerrilla games sequel antagonist nemesis potential

HEPHAESTUS Could Be More Powerful Than Ever in Horizon 3

HEPHAESTUS isn't the main antagonist of the Horizon series, but it's certainly an important one. Without it, entities like HADES would have no way of pursuing their goals, since the Machines wouldn't be as hostile or capable of destruction. Unfortunately for the members of the Horizon universe, there's a good chance that HEPHAESTUS is going to level up in the next entry, since it's been hinted that its exposure to Zenith technology at the end of Forbidden West will allow it to manufacture even more dangerous Machines.

This is fairly straightforward franchise-building stuff: naturally, the threat level has to increase with each new entry. This is especially important for a video game series that relies heavily on combat, as there needs to be a narrative justification for new gameplay opportunities, enemy types, and the like. Keeping all this in mind, it's probable that HEPHAESTUS will remain a significant threat in Horizon 3, alongside other projects.

HEPHAESTUS Is an Easy Choice for Future Horizon Spin-Offs

With how successful the Horizon series has become, and considering the nature of modern, franchise-focused entertainment, spin-offs, half-sequels, side stories, and the like could all be in the cards. If these non-mainline projects are akin to LEGO Horizon Adventures, then things like plot and continuity won't matter too much, but other spin-off properties might need a bit of a bigger push in the narrative content department. Considering the tepid response to Horizon Adventures, though, it would seem that other, potentially more serious, spin-offs are more likely.

lego horizon adventures gameplay — Credits: Guerrilla Games/Studio Gobo/Sony

If this ends up being the case, HEPAESTUS would be an obvious figure to include, to some degree. The AI is essentially ground zero for the misbehaving machines, meaning that Guerrilla's writers will probably want to keep it in their back pocket: as long as HEPHAESTUS is around in some form, there are virtually infinite opportunities for more stories and conflicts. This is especially true when considering the potential events of Horizon 3. For instance, if HEPHAESTUS is weakened by the end of that game, then it could be the antagonist for a smaller, lower-stakes story. Alternatively, HEPHAESTUS could be realigned with human interests, thereby serving as an ally or even a gameplay tool in a different sort of Horizon experience.