The Frozen Wilds
Venture beyond the Meridian into a frozen land where ancient secrets hide beneath the snow.
The Frozen Wilds is a major expansion for the action role-playing game Horizon Zero Dawn, taking players to the untamed southern regions beyond the main map. This story arc deepens the lore of the Old World by introducing new machine variants and exploring the remnants of the Eclipse project within a harsh, snow-covered environment. It serves as a bridge between the original conclusion and future events in the series.
- Protagonist
- Aloy
- Setting
- Southern Forbidden West (Snowy Region)
- Key Faction
- Banuk Tribe
- Primary Antagonist
- Fara (Mother of the Sun)
- Release Type
- Paid Expansion DLC
Lore & Background
The region known as the Frozen Wilds is home to the Banuk, a tribe that thrives in extreme cold and maintains a deep spiritual connection to the machines they encounter. Unlike other tribes who fear the constructs, the Banuk view them through a lens of reverence, often attributing their origins to divine forces. This cultural perspective masks the true technological nature of the ruins scattered across the landscape. Beneath the ice lies an Old World facility tied to the Eclipse project, designed as a last-ditch effort to save humanity from the Faro Plague. The architecture here is more advanced than typical ruins, featuring automated defenses that have remained dormant for centuries until reactivated by human interference. This location holds critical data regarding the global terraforming systems that once protected Earth.
In Their Own Story
The wind howled across the white peaks, carrying the scent of ozone and ancient metal. Aloy pulled her fur-lined cloak tight against the biting chill, her Focus humming softly as it scanned the treeline. Below, in a valley choked with frost-covered ruins, a massive silhouette shifted amidst the snowdrifts. It was not a beast of nature, but a machine of iron and light, waking from a thousand-year slumber.
Reader's Guide
Aloy receives a mysterious signal from Sylens, prompting her journey south into the snowy mountains beyond the known lands. Upon arrival, she encounters the Banuk tribe, who revere the ancient technology as sacred gifts from their deities. Through exploration and alliances with locals like Varl, Aloy uncovers the truth behind the Mother of the Sun, Fara. Fara seeks to activate a dormant Old World facility capable of triggering a global ice age to permanently halt the Faro Plague. She believes humanity is doomed without this reset. As Aloy delves deeper into the underground complex, she faces increasingly dangerous machines designed for extreme cold environments. The conflict culminates in a confrontation within the ancient vault where Fara intends to initiate the freeze sequence. Aloy manages to stop the activation but must also contend with a massive TITAN machine guarding the facility. With Sylens assisting remotely to unlock security protocols, Aloy defeats the mechanical guardian and prevents the climate shift. The expansion concludes with Aloy securing vital data on the Eclipse project, upgrading her Focus device for future challenges ahead.
Did You Know?
- The TITAN machine encountered in this region is significantly larger than any other construct found in the base game.
- Sylens returns during this storyline to assist Aloy while secretly pursuing his own research into Old World AI.
- The Banuk tribe utilizes unique weaponry and armor crafted specifically for survival in sub-zero temperatures.