Horizon Hunters Gathering Rebooted as Co-Op Game After Live Service Playtests Flop

Guerrilla Games is reportedly overhauling Horizon Hunters Gathering, stripping out its live service elements entirely after the multiplayer Horizon spin-off received poor feedback during early private playtests. According to reports from multiple outlets, Sony and Guerrilla are pivoting the game toward a more traditional co-op experience, ditching the live service framework that had defined the project since its announcement earlier this year to mixed reception. The announcement had retained series familiar faces like Aloy and Erend, but players and testers apparently took issue with the live service components specifically.

The shake-up also carries significant implications for the wider Horizon franchise. With most of Guerrilla's team still devoted to Hunters Gathering in its rebooted form, the proper single-player sequel, tentatively considered Horizon 3, remains years away, with only a small team currently in the planning phase. The reassignment of developers signals just how much internal resource the multiplayer project continues to demand, even as its direction is being fundamentally reconsidered. For fans waiting on a follow-up to Horizon Forbidden West, the wait just got longer.

Sources