Horizon Forbidden West gets auto-loot and quality of life update ahead of DLC release

Cassidy Stephenson
Aloy fighting Slitherfang on Horizon Forbidden West

Guerilla Games has unveiled an update ahead of Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC. The patch notably introduces an auto-loot feature in addition to various accessibility improvements.

On April 18, Guerilla Games announced its team would drop Patch 1.21 for Horizon Forbidden West. The update comes a day before the game’s Burning Shores DLC releases. Burning Shores marks Forbidden West’s first DLC over a year since the game’s debut.

Unlike Zero Dawn’s Frozen Wilds DLC, Burning Shores transports Aloy to the arid ruins of Los Angeles. There, she discovers new machines and encounters never-before-seen characters. Before the DLC, players can experience everything Patch 1.21 has to offer.

What’s included in the Horizon Forbidden West 1.21 patch?

horizon forbidden west dlc

On the Horizon subreddit, Guerilla revealed Forbidden West’s Patch 1.21 notes. The update’s most anticipated item is the auto-loot system that allows Aloy to pick up items from enemies. The feature prevents animations from disrupting gameplay.

Additionally, Guerilla Games introduced accessibility improvements like bigger subtitles, color blindness settings, and navigation assist in Focus Mode. The studio also revealed a Thalassophobia mode for those afraid of deep water.

In the comment section, players joked about game requests. “I would love a horror mode, where the machines act all glitchy and jerky, the human enemies are all mutated, and also machines that stalk you and randomly attack without warning,” Pyrochazm wrote.

On a serious note, Horizons fans wondered if Guerilla would add a memorial for Lance Reddick. Riddick suddenly died at 60 years old in March 2023. The John Wick actor voiced Sylens in Zero Dawn and Forbidden West.

“He passed very recently so I doubt there was much time to add anything significant in, unfortunately,” Eruannster claimed. “Possibly a mention in the credits or something.”

Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC becomes available on April 19 for PS5 users. Stay tuned for any guides we may cover regarding the expansion.

About The Author

Cassidy graduated from Concordia University Chicago in 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in Media Communication. She's an expert in all things Pokemon, and her favorite games include Pokémon Crystal, Genshin Impact, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. You can contact her at cassidy.stephenson@dexerto.com.