0] After the Horizon Forbidden West game footage was shown at PlayStation's latest State of Play, the question on everyone's mind was, "When is the release date?"

That was the question.

That was one piece of information PS5 users really wanted at the event, but unfortunately, developer Guerrilla was extremely tight-lipped about specifics. However, shortly after the showcase ended, the developer took to Twitter to provide a welcome update to players.

According to Guerrilla, while there is still no "exact release date" for the much-anticipated PS5 exclusive, "development is on track" and the studio will "provide updates [to players] soon."

A number of gaming events are already scheduled for next month, including E3 2021 and Summer Games Fest, which may mean that there are only a few weeks until further news.

At the State of Play event, approximately 12 minutes of direct game footage was shown. The presentation showed some of the new abilities of Horizon's protagonist, Alloy, including a grapple device and tools that allow him to breathe underwater. Several new animal-like machine types were also shown for the first time, as well as a boss fight with a giant mechanical mammoth.

The footage we saw on PS5 was phenomenal, so it's no wonder players are eager to know the release date. Hopefully, the wait for further news will be short and the release date won't be too far away when it is confirmed.

While we still don't know the exact release date for Horizon Forbidden West, there are a few clues that tell us when we can expect to be unleashed once again in a vast open world populated by wild machines.

Sony previously announced that it plans to release a sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn at some point in 2021; a PS5 ad confirmed that it was "planned for late 2021," should Guerrilla decide it needs more polish before launch, there is always the possibility that the title could be pushed back to 2022.

Hopefully that will not be the case. And the good news is that the above tweet says "development is on track," which means that "Horizon Forbidden West" is still on track for a 2021 release date, at least for now.

If the game is to be released this year, a firm release date would be set by the end of summer. If we don't hear anything by then, the chances of a 2021 release date will begin to look rather bleak.

With the PS5 console becoming even more difficult to obtain in recent months, a release date towards the end of the year would be very welcome for gamers still trying to get their hands on a PS5 console. Check out our PS5 restocking guide for the latest availability information.

Those unable to get their hands on a next-generation PlayStation by the release date of Horizon Forbidden West can rest assured that it will also be available on PS4.