Today we’re revealing two pre-Alpha shots of Focus on the Heart: a first look at a very early/sketch version of our paperdoll sprites & character selection screen!
The team has been hard at work bringing this passion project together, and we’re thrilled to begin showing it off! 💘
🏖️ Chill out with this timelapse video of one of our many backgrounds being painted by @kittleskittle. Can you smell the ocean yet?
🎵 Featuring in-game music by @melikochan
🔊 Turn on your sound! 🔊
We’re so excited to showcase not only a clip of brand new Jewel-themed music composed by @melikochan, but also environmental background animations, created entirely by @kittleskittle! Moving clouds and particle effects ensure that even when you’re idling, the game feels alive!
Turn your sound up and give a listen to this preview of our main theme, composed and arranged by the extremely talented @melikochan!
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🎵 by @melikochan
🎞️ edit by @nerd-artist
🎨 by @kittleskittle
✒️ by @poulticepurse
Say hi to our Social Media Lead, Cor, who’s handling our social accounts!
You can find her on:
Tumblr: @thunderjawsandlightning
Hello! I’m Cor, a meta analysis nerd at heart with a magpie brain focused on collecting specific amounts of information together into compilation documents in my spare time, especially character dialogue. I’ve only been creating for the Horizon fandom for a couple years now, but have been consuming fics for far longer, shortly after I started playing the HZD Complete Edition. I am constantly inspired by my fandom fellows and our chats about Nil and Aloy’s character meta, some of which have prompted me to pick up writing again for the first time since a single writing class I took in my first year of university. Currently, I’m an aspiring writer with too many WIPs and ideas piling up, with the dream of writing a Niloy character study longfic or an original poetry-and-prose anthology in the future.
What is a favourite piece of work you’ve done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create for fandom?
My beloved pet project (that is in a constant state of WIP) “Of Blood, Steel & Sand” is a character study of Nil and the things in his life that have defined him that I really need to finish, and I have several in-concept ideas for a Horizon daemon!au fic that I am always thinking about.
I also have transcripts of GAIA Cast episodes and some other compilation docs on my tumblr!
What are some of your favourite tropes (to read, write, draw, etc)?
Always a fan of nonchalant injuries + “but i could have lost you” for the emotional angst, and redemption arcs where the the characters are set up from the beginning as narrative foils and parallels.
What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?
I have a circa 100 year old hand-crank sewing machine that I sometimes use to make my own clothes.
What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?
It has been such a delight seeing the community creativity! And getting a peek into people’s brainstorming process for a narrative collaboration has been so fascinating and inspiring, I am feeling the itch to write again.
Say hello to our Audio Lead, the incredibly inspiring Meliko, who is composing all the music for our game!
You can find them on:
tumblr @melikochan
twitter: @melikomakes
instagram: @melikomakes
Hey! I’m Meliko, and I can never decide on just one thing to do. I’m an artist, musician, and writer, with most of my fanworks belonging to the Horizon fandom. I’m doing interface design, sound effects, and music for the game.
I remember being immediately drawn to Horizon when it was first announced. Lush, vibrant, post-apocalyptic landscape? Check. Robot dinosaurs? Check check. Badass redheaded protagonist? Yeah, there was no way I wasn’t going to love this series. I played Zero Dawn, took a deep breath, and then immediately replayed it. Then again.
Though my love of the series started early, and I would occasionally reblog Horizon posts I found on Tumblr, I didn’t seek out and join the fandom until Forbidden West came out. The series resparked both my interest in writing fanfic and drawing fanart, which I hadn’t really done in years. It’s been a blast!
What is a favourite piece of work you’ve done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create for fandom?
My recent multichapter Aloy/Alva fic, By the Love of the Ancestors. It ended up being twice as long as I’d scoped it, but I’m very happy with how it came out and the emotional depth I was able to build.
What are some of your favourite tropes (to read, write, draw, etc)?
I can’t resist a good enemies to lovers, or better yet—best friends divided by fate, brought back together in the end. It’s probably my favorite kind of story across all mediums. I’m also a sucker for hurt/comfort, and smut with feelings. When it comes to writing, I like exploring characters through my work and their relationships, and I tend to obsess over expanding on the overall worldbuilding.
What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?
I’ve had this nickname since kindergarten!
What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?
Collaborating with so many fantastic community members, and getting to bring my music into the fandom as well.
It’s time to meet the Lead of our hardworking Coding Team, Dazza!
You can find him on:
Twitter: @Dazza_F13
Hellooooo 🙂 I’m Dazza, and I’m currently at university in the UK. I’ve always loved creating beautiful things that people can play around with, that being either a small machine/toy or a program people can use. After playing Horizon Zero Dawn I was hooked not just by the story but also with the software engineering and graphics that were needed to create such a game. And from that I joined into the fandom and have been joining in with things here and there. Apart from some of my virtual photography, this is the biggest project I will have done within the fandom and can’t wait to show you what we will create.
What is a favourite piece of work you’ve done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create for fandom?
It feels like I’ve not been in the fandom for that long, as I played HZD around April 2021, and only after listening to GAIA Cast I started to learn what fandom is and what it entails. With other things happening IRL, I have only wanted to create things like the rest of the community, so apart from my VP work, this project is a wish come true!
What are some of your favourite tropes (to read, write, draw, etc)?
I love to read stories that build up the main character, like they start from nothing and then become something amazing. I also love reading the fan-created ones with the writers’ views about LI’s in horizon, there’s so many variations it’s amazing!
What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?
I’m British and occasionally can use the letter “t” when saying words, like “bottle of water”, but the serious one is that I do a lot of mountain biking. I love the Peak District as there are loads of trails and amazing scenery.
What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?
My favorite thing so far about this project is literally just working with all of these incredible people that are pouring their hearts into this project to create something the fandom will enjoy!
Meet our wonderfully talented Art Lead and Erend route Artist, @nerd-artist!
You can also find her on: Twitter: @nerd_artist_art
Greetings from Spain! 🙂 In real life, I’m a cat mom and I make a living as a 2D game designer and artist. In the virtual world, I’m a late fan of Horizon who is making up for the years in which I ignored the existence of the fandom with a current unhealthy obsession that takes up most of my free time. The blame for this condition lies in the captivating world of Horizon, the impressive story of Aloy, the chemistry I feel between her and Erend, and the wonderful people who make up this community. I love being part of a project like this, filled with amazing people with incredible talent. They’re such an inspiration.
What is a favourite piece of work you’ve done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create for fandom?
My most consistent fan work has been the series of illustrations depicting Horizon characters as Greek gods, based on classical paintings. It’s an ongoing work in progress. Also, the Ereloy fanart I’ve enjoyed creating the most is based on the famous Klimt’s kiss.
What are some of your favourite tropes (to read, write, draw, etc)?
The subject I enjoy drawing the most is Aloy. In general, I love creating portraits and experimenting with different styles to push myself further (and because I can’t stick to just one style). Friends to lovers and angst with a happy ending are my reading obsession.
What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?
I’ve only been in the fandom for 7 months (this is the first one I’ve joined in my life), and I’ve created nearly 60 fanarts already. The brainrot has hit me real hard.
What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?
I think it’s incredible how we have such a great atmosphere and excellent organization among people from such different parts of the world. I’m experiencing with this project the proof that when you work on what you’re passionate about, everything turns out better.
Meet our amazing Narrative Lead, Drakka route artist, and Nil route writer, @chloefraazers!
Hi all! I’ve only been in the Horizon fandom for a little over a year, but have been a fan since HZD Complete Edition released. Before that, I was actively out of any and all fandoms for about 13 years, but the unmasking scene in the Stillsands between Nil and Aloy pulled me back in with gusto. Since then, I’ve poured far too many hours into writing fics for the ship, and discovered a love for Drakka along the way as well. Horizon even got me drawing again when I haven’t done that for a good decade. I’ve met some incredible people I’m proud to be working with now on this huge project.
What is a favourite piece of work you’ve done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create for fandom?
I suppose I need to promote my two biggest works: The Number of the Beast, a 130k+ Niloy longfic taking place post-HFW, and my series, “Another Kiss Is All It Takes,” which starts as Niloy character studies and then adds some Niloyakka angst.
What are some of your favourite tropes to write, draw, or read?
I’m a huge fan of redemption arcs and rivals to lovers.
What is an unexpected thing/ fun fact about you?
I’m the most aroace person you’ll meet irl but will write the filthiest smut.
What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?
Obviously seeing the fandom come together to make something great for everyone, and being exposed to so much skill and talent from everyone!
Our very first Meet the Team bio is here! Meet @kittleskittle, our incredibly hardworking Game Lead, Background Artist, and Nil route Artist and Writer!
Hey there, I’m Jess. Freelance artist, stay at home parent, and game developer hopeful! Been contributing to the fandom since late 2019 in every way I possibly can – meta, writing, art, and now this big ol’ group project! I adore collaboration of any kind and almost can’t create without it anymore, so with FOTH, I’m in my element. Niloy is my OTP and has owned my entire soul since 2020, and even more since the release of HFW, which brought along with it so many new friends to enjoy the ship with. Branching out into the fandom at large has been its own level of fun, and along the way I’ve found a kind and active community of like-minded friends I wouldn’t trade for the world!
What is a favourite piece of work you’ve done (i.e. completed, work in progress), OR what is something you’ve always wanted to create?
To pick a few from my works, my series of vintage-style chunky-oil-brush paintings inspired Andrew Loomis’ work, “demon from the east” Aloy, and a lighting study piece of Aloy in the Flood.
What are some of your favourite tropes (to read, write, draw, etc)?
This list is enormous, so let’s focus on the top: enemies and rivals to lovers, Jungian shadow dynamics, the heroine’s journey, and on the lighter side…men who loudly love their wives.
What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?
I’m an avid hiker and backpacker, I’m self-taught in just about everything creative (my major in college was actually biochemistry!), and I have ten siblings!
What has been your favourite thing about working on this project so far?
The sense of community and the different interpretations and love everyone has for their favorite characters and ships!