Guerrilla’s upcoming multiplayer title, formerly known as Horizon Hunters Gathering, is undergoing a significant reboot that will strip away its live-service elements. According to a Bloomberg report, the Amsterdam-based studio has been working on this change since June, prompted by negative player feedback from various tests.
The revised plan aims to transform the game into a more traditional cooperative multiplayer experience, complete with a story mode and a substantially smaller scope. Developers will reportedly have until December to demonstrate the reboot's viability to executives. Some team members have been reassigned to another project awaiting evaluation, while a small team is said to be conceptualizing the next single-player Horizon game, which is reportedly still years from release.
Horizon Hunters Gathering was announced in February as a cooperative game for up to three players set within the Horizon universe. It was described as featuring vibrant visuals and tactical, skill-based combat against the series' signature machines. The extent of the changes beyond the removal of live-service components remains to be seen.
This development occurs amidst PlayStation's broader efforts in the live-service market. While Sony had ambitious plans for over a dozen such titles, the number has since been halved in favor of quality. Some live-service games have been canceled, including The Last of Us Online and titles from Bend Studio, as well as a planned live-service God of War. Conversely, titles like Helldivers 2 have achieved significant commercial success, selling over 20 million copies. Other multiplayer ventures, such as Sony's Concord, have struggled, leading to the studio's closure. The future of games like Fairgame$ is also uncertain due to staff departures.