Horizon Forbidden West DLC: Complete Guide to The Burning Shores Expansion in 2025

The Burning Shores DLC for Horizon Forbidden West arrived as one of the most anticipated expansions of 2024, delivering new territory, fresh combat scenarios, and storyline threads that deepen Aloy’s journey. If you’re jumping into this expansion or trying to maximize your experience, you’ll need specifics: exact enemy types, gear stats, progression requirements, and strategies that actually work. This guide covers everything you need to tackle The Burning Shores DLC confidently, whether you’re running on PS5 or diving in on PC. We’ll break down story beats, machine encounters, map secrets, and loadout recommendations so you can approach the expansion prepared for whatever challenges Guerrilla Games throws at you.

What Is The Burning Shores DLC?

The Burning Shores is a full-fledged story expansion that drops you into a sun-scorched archipelago set after the main game’s conclusion. This isn’t cosmetic DLC, it’s a narrative-driven campaign with new machines, legendary weapons, and environmental hazards that test your mastery of Horizon’s combat systems.

The expansion introduces the volcanic Burning Shores region, a visually striking area dominated by geothermal activity and new machine types you won’t encounter in the base game. The story focuses on a character and conflict that ties into the broader lore of the post-apocalyptic world. Expect 10–15 hours of main story content, though full exploration and side activities can stretch playtime significantly.

This is content designed for players who’ve completed the main game. Story elements reference major events from Horizon Forbidden West, and enemy difficulty assumes you’ve got solid gear and skill development already under your belt. The DLC requires the base game to play and is exclusive to PlayStation platforms (PS5 and PS4) at launch, though it later became available on PC.

Story and Campaign Overview

Main Quest Storyline

The Burning Shores campaign centers on uncovering secrets in the volcanic region and dealing with new threats that emerged post-game. Without spoiling specifics, the story explores consequences hinted at during the main campaign and introduces new NPCs with their own agendas. The narrative pacing moves briskly, missions feel substantial rather than padded, and each quest advances the central plot or fleshes out world-building.

Expect story missions that demand stealth, direct combat, and exploration. Some require specific machine takedowns or environmental puzzle-solving. The main quest is linear but offers multiple approach angles: you’re not forced into one combat style.

Mission variety keeps momentum solid. You’ll infiltrate corrupted machine sites, track down targets across the volcanic landscape, and uncover research related to Horizon’s larger mysteries. The DLC respects your time, no pointless fetch quests or artificial padding.

New Characters and Companions

The Burning Shores introduces NPCs who matter to the story and world. Character writing maintains the series’ standard of solid dialogue and believable motivations. You’ll interact with locals adapted to life in the archipelago and encounter antagonists whose goals create genuine conflict.

New companions provide support during key missions. These characters have personality and purpose, not just mechanical companion bonuses. Their involvement feels earned through story progression rather than forced into combat encounters.

The expansion deepens lore around Horizon’s factions and the consequences of the main game’s events. For players invested in the world-building, character moments land harder because they reference established relationships and prior choices.

New Machines and Combat Encounters

Unique Enemy Types

The Burning Shores introduces three new machine types exclusive to the DLC: the Scorcher (a mid-tier flying machine with electrical attacks), the Rebel (a specialized combat variant of existing machines with enhanced armor), and the Tremortusk (a large quadrupedal threat with devastating ground-slam AoE). Each machine has distinct attack patterns, weak points, and elemental affinities.

Scrochers are fast and rely on ranged electrical strikes. They’re vulnerable to shock weapons and freeze effects that slow their aerial movement. Their head is the weakest point, but hitting it requires precise aim or triggering them into predictable patterns.

Rebels appear as corrupted or enhanced versions of base-game machines with thicker armor plating and more aggressive attack combos. They take longer to stagger and hit harder. Breaker ammunition helps, as does focusing fire on specific armor segments before targeting weak points.

Tremortusks are the expansion’s damage sponges. They’re slow but deal massive AoE damage when they pound the ground. Keep moving, stay at medium range, and exploit their slow-wind-up animations. Aim for the tail and legs to mount them and deal rupture damage.

Corrupted machines also appear throughout the region with modified behaviors. Corruption amplifies their attacks and adds status effects. Clearing corruption blasts from them should be a priority before engaging in direct combat.

Weapon and Skill Requirements

For survival in the Burning Shores on higher difficulties, you’ll need solid weapon variety and specific skills unlocked. A Legendary Sharpshot Bow with precision damage mods is near-mandatory for ranged weak-point hits. A Legendary Sword or melee weapon with impact focus helps break armor and trigger stagger windows.

Skills like Resonator Strike (amplifies damage when elements are applied) and Spike Traps (utility for arena control) make encounters smoother. Valor Surges, special ability lines introduced in the base game, become crucial on higher difficulties. Brace for Impact (damage reduction window) and Second Wind (health restoration) save runs against Tremortusks and Rebel clusters.

Expect to use frost ammunition extensively to slow aerial threats, shock ammo against electric machines, and blast arrows for environmental damage. Elemental combos matter more here than in the base game, stacking status effects before heavy damage bursts is key to efficient encounters.

If you’re undergeared coming into the DLC, you can farm legendary weapons from the main game or craft purple-rarity gear as a stopgap, but the campaign is tuned assuming you’ve got endgame loadouts from the base game’s loot economy.

Exploration and Map Areas

The Burning Shores Region

The Burning Shores map is roughly 1/3 the size of the main Forbidden West region, but it’s denser with points of interest. The archipelago layout forces vertical exploration, you’re navigating volcanic cliffs, geysers, and island-hopping routes that reward observation. The landscape itself is a hazard: thermal vents damage you if you stand in them too long, and lava flows create impassable barriers that change based on quest progression.

The region splits into three sub-zones. The Eastern Caldera is volcanic badlands with machine nests and corrupted settlements. The Western Archipelago features island chains where water traversal and climbing are essential. The Central Spire is a story-heavy area locked behind main quest progress.

Fast travel is available from campfires scattered throughout. Early on, campfires feel sparse, but discovering them gradually opens up the map. Resource density is high, machine parts, herbs, and ore veins cluster near machine sites. Looting efficiently before combat is smart: incoming threats make scavenging mid-fight risky.

Weather effects intensify exploration challenges. Heat storms reduce visibility and damage you over time if you’re not near shelter. Cold snaps lock some pathways with ice. These aren’t artificial walls, they’re environmental storytelling about how harsh the region actually is.

The map rewards curiosity. Hidden campsites contain supplies or lore entries. Climbing ruins offers vantage points to spot machines and collectibles. The visual design is stunning, but it also helps you navigate: distinctive rock formations and structures make orientation intuitive.

Hidden Collectibles and Secrets

The DLC stuffs the map with collectibles for completionists. You’ve got Audio Logs (lore about the region’s history), Datapoints (world-building text), Machine Tallnecks (optional battles granting map reveals and loot), and Treasure Chests scattered across the archipelago.

There are five Tallnecks in the DLC, towering machines you can override to expand map coverage and earn legendary components. Each Tallneck sits in a distinct combat arena with environmental hazards. Overriding them grants permanent map upgrades and legendary machine parts used in crafting.

Secret boss machines, optional Apex variants of regular machines, lurk in specific zones. These aren’t required for story completion, but taking them down rewards unique trophies and legendary gear. They’re genuinely difficult on Hard and above: expect 15–20 minute encounters if you’re underprepared.

The Relic Ruins are optional dungeons hiding legendary weapons and armor pieces. Puzzles involve using machinery and environmental features cleverly. Solutions are never obscure, but they encourage experimentation. Completing ruins also unlocks skill points if you fully solve their optional challenges.

Digging sites let you unearth relics of the Old World. Some digs are pure collectibles: others unlock weapon blueprints or armor skins. Resource costs are reasonable, none feel like grinding taxes.

A few secrets tie into the Horizon Forbidden West skill tree progression system. Finding hidden meditation spots grants bonus skill points. There are roughly seven hidden meditation locations, each tucked in visually distinctive areas that reward paying attention to the environment.

Gear, Weapons, and Crafting

New Legendary Equipment

The Burning Shores introduces five exclusive legendary weapons you can’t get from the base game. The Blazing Sun Sharpshot Bow excels at precision damage with built-in fire elemental mods, essential for weak-point hunting. The Tidal Might Spear is a melee weapon dealing impact and shock damage in combo strings: it’s fantastic for crowd control.

The Demolition Disc Launcher is a heavy weapon spraying explosive discs in a cone. It’s overkill for single-target fights but shines against machine packs. The Eternal Huntress Rifle handles mid-range combat with rapid-fire capability and reload bonuses.

Finally, the Scorcher’s Thorn is a elemental weapon scaling with your frost and shock applications. If you’ve built shock/frost perks into your playstyle, this weapon rewards that investment heavily.

Armor-wise, the Burning Shaman Outfit offers thermal resistance in volcanic zones, reducing environmental damage by 30%. The Archipelago Scout Armor boosts machine detection range and stealth, valuable for Valor Surge builds focused on crowd control from range.

All legendary gear drops from specific sources: main bosses, world Tallnecks, or crafting via legendary components. You can’t buy legendary gear from vendors: it’s earned through combat and exploration. This ensures meaningful progression, you’re working toward specific power-ups, not chasing random loot tables.

Crafting recipes require machine components plus rare resources found only in the Burning Shores. Some components only drop from Apex machines or specific Tallneck bosses, encouraging you to engage with the DLC’s full content rather than rushing the main story.

Skill Trees and Ability Upgrades

The DLC adds a new Burning Shores Skill Branch with seven skills exclusive to the expansion. These skills layer onto your existing trees, you’re not replacing base-game abilities, you’re extending them.

The Thermal Mastery skill amplifies fire damage and triggers bonus status effects when you use fire weapons. Cascade Combo chains elemental effects together: apply shock, then fire, and bonus rupture damage triggers. These encourage mixed-element loadouts.

Valor Surge Extensions add new Valor Surge abilities unlocked through the skill tree. Inferno Surge deals massive AoE fire damage and applies burning status to nearby machines, great for arena cleanup. Cascade Surge applies shock and frost simultaneously, useful for prepping Tremortusks for mounting.

Skill points are earned through:

• Main story missions (6 total)
• Hidden meditation spots (7 total)
• Relic Ruins optional challenges (5 total)
• Tallneck overrides (5 total)

That’s 23 skill points available, more than enough to unlock the new branch fully plus upgrade one additional tree from the base game. Prioritize skills matching your playstyle, elemental builds should grab Thermal Mastery and Cascade Combo early.

Each skill costs 1–3 points depending on its power level. Ability upgrades (increasing Valor Surge recharge rate or effectiveness) cost 2–3 points each but provide noticeable quality-of-life improvements.

Tips for Completing the DLC

Difficulty Settings and Strategies

The Burning Shores supports four difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Ultra Hard. Story content and cutscenes are identical across difficulties, only combat encounters change.

On Normal, machines are forgiving. You can tank hits and recover. It’s the baseline experience and fine if you play casually. Expect 12–15 hour playthroughs with moderate exploration.

Hard introduces machine aggression spikes. They attack in coordinated patterns and chain combos more frequently. Stagger windows shrink. This is the difficulty most players should pick if they cleared the base game on Hard: it feels appropriately challenging without grinding.

Ultra Hard is unforgiving. Machines deal 2x damage. Stagger and freeze duration cuts in half. You’re one mistake from severe consequences. This isn’t content difficulty, it’s test-your-skills difficulty. Bring maxed gear, understand every machine’s moveset, and be patient. Ultra Hard best-in-slot loadouts matter here.

On any difficulty above Normal, manage your resources carefully. Ammo doesn’t respawn mid-combat: you’re working with what you looted beforehand. Before major battles, scavenge nearby sites for arrows, hunter arrows, and heavy ammunition.

Machine encounters reward positioning. Use terrain for cover. Thermal vents damage machines too, lure them into volcanic zones. Exploit elevation: high ground gives you aim advantage while enemies climb.

Stagger efficiently. Don’t waste arrows hitting armor panels first: go straight for weak points once armor is off. Elemental stacking before burst damage saves seconds and resources.

On Ultra Hard, bring armor with high health pools or resistance perks. The Burning Shaman Outfit is more than cosmetic, its thermal resistance lets you use geothermal zones aggressively. Pair it with a melee weapon’s Valor Surge for survivability through close-range encounters.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Tremortusk’s Ground Slam AoE

Solution: Stay mobile. Dodge perpendicular to the creature, never directly away. Once it starts the slam animation, sprint sideways. If caught, activate Brace for Impact Valor Surge to reduce spike damage by 60%. Position yourself 20-30 meters away before it begins winding up.

Challenge: Rebel Machine Armor

Solution: These machines wear enhanced plating covering weak points. Use Breaker Bow shots to rupture armor panels specifically. Don’t rely on fire arrows until armor is gone, they’re wasted on protected weak points. Aim for armor gaps near joints. A Legendary Sharpshot Bow handles this better than rapid-fire weapons.

Challenge: Scorcher Flight Patterns

Solution: Bring frost ammunition, frozen Scrochers fall from the sky. Use a Sharpshot Bow for precision. If it lands, switch to melee briefly. Don’t chase it into bad terrain: let it come to you, then capitalize on landing windows. A Cascade Combo (shock then fire) stuns it mid-flight.

Challenge: Resource Scarcity Late Game

Solution: Farm machine sites before major story battles. Focus on enemy clusters near campsites, kill them, loot, and fast travel back once resources respawn. The Eastern Caldera has dense machine populations: spend 30 minutes looting before tackling the final boss encounter.

Challenge: Corrupted Machines’ Status Attacks

Solution: Corruption blasts stack negative effects (reduced weapon damage, stat penalties). Remove corruption immediately using Resonator Strike or corruption-clearing arrows. Build three resistances into your outfit if you’re struggling. The Archipelago Scout Armor has natural corruption resistance.

For Horizon Forbidden West news and updates, check dedicated resources, balance changes or strategy shifts may emerge post-launch that refine these recommendations.

Requirements and Playthrough Duration

Story Progression Requirements

You need to complete Horizon Forbidden West’s main story before touching the DLC. The Burning Shores content takes place after the main game’s conclusion and references major story events. Starting the DLC before finishing the base game will spoil significant plot points.

Minimum gear requirement: Purple-tier weapons and armor. Legendary gear makes encounters smoother but isn’t mandatory. If you’re under-leveled gear-wise, you can farm the main game’s machine sites for 20–30 minutes and gather enough components to craft competitive loadouts.

Skill point recommendation: Have at least 15–20 skill points spent from the base game. This means you’ve invested in Valor Surge lines and elemental skills that matter in combat. The DLC assumes you’ve built a functional build, not that you’re a pure newcomer to the skill system.

The DLC is available on PS5, PS4, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store). It requires an active PlayStation Network account on console, though single-player progression saves locally. Cross-save isn’t supported: your PS5 save won’t carry to PC.

DLC file size is approximately 35GB on console, 45GB on PC. Ensure you’ve got storage space before attempting install. Download times vary by connection: plan for 1–3 hours on standard broadband.

You can’t start the DLC unless you’ve completed the main story’s final mission. Loading a save file before that point will show the DLC content in the world, but story missions won’t activate.

Average Completion Time

Main story only: 10–12 hours. This is sprinting through plot missions and minimal exploration. You’ll hit story credits but miss most secrets and side content.

Main story plus major side content: 15–18 hours. You’re exploring most of the map, grabbing obvious collectibles, and completing optional Tallneck battles. This feels like a complete playthrough without exhaustive completionism.

Full completion: 20–25 hours. Every Tallneck, every hidden meditation spot, all relic ruins, all collectibles. This includes optional Apex machine hunts and comprehensive resource gathering. Reaching 100% completion on a single difficulty run takes patience but is achievable in a weekend.

Difficulty impacts time slightly. Ultra Hard extends playtimes by 4–6 hours due to longer individual encounters. You’re not rushing battles on Ultra Hard, each one demands precision.

A speedrun-focused player focusing pure story can finish in 7–8 hours. Speedrunners know exact pathing and skip exploration: they’re not a representative playthrough for most players.

Most players spend 15–18 hours their first run, then either jump into New Game+ or start fresh on higher difficulties. The DLC content is meaty enough that replaying it on a harder setting feels fresh, you’re discovering placement variations and challenge modifiers you missed on easier runs.

Conclusion

The Burning Shores DLC delivers substantial value for Horizon Forbidden West fans. It’s not cosmetic side content, it’s a full-featured expansion with meaningful story progression, combat encounters designed to test your mastery, and environmental design that rewards exploration. Whether you’re chasing trophy completion, pushing Ultra Hard challenges, or just soaking in the narrative, the DLC has something.

Going in prepared makes all the difference. Bring maxed or near-maxed gear from the base game, understand how elemental combos and Valor Surges function, and don’t skip exploration, secrets are scattered generously. The Burning Shores region is visually striking and mechanically interesting: spending time there beyond story missions pays off.

For platform-specific deep-dives, resources like GameSpot’s guides and Twinfinite’s walkthroughs offer additional strategy breakdowns if you hit specific walls. The DLC community is active, and shared strategies from other players help refine tactics.

Start the DLC knowing what to expect: 15–20 hours of solid content, genuine challenge on higher difficulties, and lore that matters to the broader Horizon narrative. Bring your best loadout, embrace the volcanic archipelago’s hazards, and enjoy the next chapter of Aloy’s story. The Burning Shores is a worthy expansion that respects both your time and skill.