Summary
Horizon Zero DawnandForbidden Westhave plenty of memorable characters to encounter, but none were more charismatic and well-liked than Sylens, the rival/ally of protagonist Aloy. A lot of that was down to the brilliant performance of Lance Reddick, and fans of the series were left devastatedwhen the actor passed away in 2023 at just 60 years old.
Tributes came flooding in from Horizon and Destiny fans,thanks to his role as Commander Zavala, and Horizon Forbidden West even includeda little tribute to Reddick in its Burning Shores DLC. After the world began to move on from his death, questions understandably began to rise in regard to what would happen with Sylens in the Horizon series, mostly due to how the ending of Forbidden West sets him up as a pretty important character.
Sylens Will Be Played By A New Actor In Lego Horizon Adventures
In the end, it appears as though Guerrilla has simply recast Sylens for future projects, as proven with the next Horizon game releasing later this year - Lego Horizon Adventures.In a statement provided to IGNfollowing previews of the title, Guerrilla Games and Horizon senior world artist Lucas Bolt confirmed that
“Lance Reddick tragically passed away in 2023, and he is deeply missed within Guerrilla and our community,” says Bolt. “He wonderfully portrayed the essential character of Sylens in Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. The character of Sylens does appear in LEGO Horizon Adventures, and we will introduce the new actor at a later date.”
Guerrilla doesn’t mention why it’s choosing to keep the identity of this new actor a secret, though it will likely be revealed closer to the game’s November 14 release date. It’s possible that Guerrilla could have simply gone for Keith David,who did a good job when Bungie recast the aforementioned Commander Zavala, though we will have to wait and see whether Guerrilla uses his likeness in the next Horizon project too.
It’s also up in the air whether Sylens has been recast inthe upcoming Horizon Zero Dawn remaster, which launches at the end of the month. It was revealed in the game’s trailer that a lot of the audio has been re-recorded and re-mocapped, though not many details were given on exactly what. Since Guerrilla is still being coy about the actor’s name, we can probably assume that Reddick’s performance in Horizon Zero Dawn has remained untouched, though it’s currently unconfirmed right now.
LEGO Horizon Adventures
WHERE TO PLAY
In a far future, where giant mechanized beasts roam a landscape reclaimed by nature and humans live in primitive tribes, an ancient evil seeks to destroy the world…Join hunter Aloy as she leads a colourful crew of heroes on a quest to save the meadows, forests, and mountains of Earth from a man called Helis, who leads a gang of sunworshippers that follow an Ancient Evil shrouded in mystery.Dive into a thrilling adventure alone, or with friends with couch co-op or online play, customize your home in true LEGO style, and uncover stunning secrets from Aloy’s mysterious past along the way.
