Shellsnapper surfaces in surprise Horizon Zero Dawn debut before Horizon Forbidden West

Art by Harvey Tolibao/Kevin Tolibao (Image credit: Titan Comics)

One of the new machine's debuting in Guerilla Games' upcoming Horizon Forbidden West will be debuting in comic books before the game's 2021 release.

(Image credit: Titan Comics)

Shellsnapper is a turtle-esque machine which was first teased in the Horizon Zero Dawn sequel's announcement trailer, and will debut on the variant cover to November 4 's Horizon Zero Dawn #4 from Titan Comics.

"The amphibious Shellsnapper can dig itself in and lie dormant for days or even weeks, allowing its impenetrable shell to become covered by the surrounding foliage," reads Guerilla Games' description of the new machine.

Newsarama has confirmed this Harvey Tolibao/Kevin Tolibao variant is the first piece of Horizon Forbidden West merchandise featuring Shellsnapper to go on sale; the game is anticipated to be released in 2021 on PS4 and PS5.

Titan hasn't disclosed if Shellsnapper will appear in the main story, or merely on this variant cover. 

Art by Harvey Tolibao/Kevin Tolibao (Image credit: Titan Comics)

Titan's Horizon Zero Dawn comic book series is set between the events of the original game and its namesake 2021 sequel, focusing on Talanah after the disappearance of Aloy. In the recently released second issue, Talanah prepares to track down a new machine with the help of Amadis.

Horizon Zero Dawn #1 debuted in August and was the highest-selling comic book in North America outside of Marvel and DC's releases.

The comic should make the wait for 2021's Horizon Forbidden West game more bearable. 

Horizon Zero Dawn #4 will go on sale in comic stores and digitally November 4 for $3.99.

Read GamesRadar's growing guide of what to expect with Horizon Forbidden West.

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)