How To Get The Shieldwing Glider In Horizon Forbidden West

The glider has become a staple of open-world games as of late (thanks Zelda) and Horizon Forbidden West is no different. In Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy can equip a glider at will, which is super helpful when leaping off cliffs, tallnecks, or any other high points in the game. The Shieldwing, as it’s called in-game, was a big focal point in the game’s pre-launch marketing, so you may be curious how to get it for yourself. Here’s your answer, as well as a few tips on how to get the most out of it–just be aware that this guide contains some light story spoilers.

Horizon Forbidden West glider – how to unlock

The Shieldwing will become a part of Aloy’s figurative toolbelt once you complete the main story quest called The Embassy. During this mission, Aloy attends a diplomatic meeting outside of Barren Light. It’s her goal to travel beyond the walls and into the Forbidden West. During this mission, Aloy will acquire the Shieldwing, her special glider that helps her float through the world rather than freefall into the dirt.

The glider falls faster than you might expect, though unlike a game such as Dying Light 2, there’s no stamina meter associated with using it, so you can freely glide for as long as you’d like. If you’re speeding through the main story, you can unlock the glider after about three hours on the critical path, though there will be plenty of optional content you’re skipping in the meantime. Those activities will be there when you want them though, so getting the glider and then going back to those side activities is always an option.

Glider accessibility feature

Once you have the Shieldwing, consider enabling a particular feature in the options menu that makes it even more useful. Under Settings>General, you’ll see Auto Shieldwing with an on /off toggle. Turning it on basically prevents Aloy from taking fall damage. A few feet above the ground, she will auto-deploy her glider and give herself a safe landing.

Note that she doesn’t open it immediately when freefalling, so if you want to glide for a great distance, you’ll still want to deploy it manually, but if you’d like to remove fall damage from the game, turning this feature on is the way to do it. For more on Horizon, don’t miss our picks for the best early skills and an overview of Valor Surges.