Sony’s ambitious push into live-service gaming may have hit another obstacle. According to recent reports, Guerrilla Games is reportedly making major changes to its upcoming multiplayer title, Horizon Hunters Gathering, following disappointing feedback from closed playtests.
The project was originally expected to play a significant role in Sony’s broader strategy to expand its portfolio beyond traditional single-player PlayStation games. However, reports now suggest that Guerrilla is reducing the game’s live-service ambitions and reshaping it into a more traditional cooperative experience with additional story-driven content.
If the reports are accurate, the changes could represent another major shift in Sony’s approach to multiplayer and live-service games.
Horizon Hunters Gathering Reportedly Faces Major Changes
According to a report from Bloomberg, Guerrilla Games has decided to rework Horizon Hunters Gathering after players reportedly gave the game poor feedback during closed playtests earlier this year.
Instead of immediately canceling the project, Sony and Guerrilla are reportedly giving the development team another opportunity to improve the game.
Developers are said to have been given until the end of the year to demonstrate progress through an upcoming development milestone. The project’s future could depend heavily on whether the next version of the game receives a more positive response from Sony executives.
The reported changes include reducing or removing some of the game’s live-service elements and introducing more traditional gameplay features.
One of the most significant additions could be a story mode designed to give players a clearer sense of progression and purpose.
Rather than building the game primarily around ongoing online updates, repeatable content and live-service systems, Guerrilla may now be focusing on a cooperative adventure that players can experience together.
What Is Horizon Hunters Gathering?
Horizon Hunters Gathering is believed to be Guerrilla Games’ major multiplayer project set in the universe of the popular Horizon franchise.
The Horizon series has become one of PlayStation’s most recognizable modern gaming franchises thanks to titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.
The games are known for their massive open worlds, robotic creatures, futuristic technology and story-driven adventures.
A multiplayer game set in this universe could potentially offer players the opportunity to work together to hunt machines, explore dangerous environments and complete cooperative missions.
The Horizon world appears naturally suited to multiplayer gameplay. Fighting enormous robotic creatures alongside other players could create exciting cooperative experiences.
However, turning that concept into a successful long-term live-service game is a much more complicated challenge.
Poor Playtest Feedback May Have Changed Sony’s Plans
Closed playtests are an important part of modern game development. Developers use them to observe how players interact with gameplay systems and to identify problems before a game is released publicly.
Feedback can influence everything from combat mechanics and progression systems to mission design and multiplayer features.
Reports suggest that Horizon Hunters Gathering failed to impress enough players during its closed testing phase.
That reportedly forced Guerrilla to reconsider the game’s direction.
Instead of abandoning the project entirely, the studio appears to be attempting to rebuild parts of the experience.
The reported introduction of a story mode could be particularly important.
Guerrilla Games is widely known for its narrative-focused single-player experiences. Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West both relied heavily on world-building, character development and cinematic storytelling.
Adding stronger narrative elements to the multiplayer game could allow Guerrilla to combine its traditional strengths with cooperative gameplay.
Developers Reportedly Being Reassigned
The Bloomberg report also suggests that some developers who were previously working on Horizon Hunters Gathering are being moved to another project.
That second project is also reportedly expected to undergo an evaluation later this year.
This could indicate that Sony is becoming more cautious about how it allocates development resources across its first-party studios.
Large-scale game development is expensive and time-consuming. A major multiplayer game can require years of work, especially when developers are building online systems, server infrastructure, progression mechanics and long-term content plans.
If Sony believes a project is not meeting expectations, reassigning staff could help the company focus resources on projects with stronger potential.
However, frequent changes can also create uncertainty for developers and players.
The Next Mainline Horizon Game Is Still Years Away
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Horizon Hunters Gathering, the main Horizon franchise is still expected to continue.
Reports suggest that a smaller team at Guerrilla Games has already started work on the next major Horizon game.
However, the sequel to Horizon Forbidden West is reportedly still years away from completion.
That means fans may have to wait quite some time before returning to the main story.
The Horizon franchise remains one of Sony’s strongest modern properties, so it would be surprising if PlayStation did not continue investing in the series.
The bigger question is how Sony will expand the franchise beyond traditional single-player adventures.
Horizon Steel Frontiers Is a Separate Project
Adding to the complexity is another multiplayer project based on the Horizon universe.
A separate MMO called Horizon Steel Frontiers is reportedly being developed externally by NCSoft.
This means Sony could still have multiple multiplayer ambitions connected to the Horizon franchise, even if Guerrilla significantly changes the direction of Horizon Hunters Gathering.
The existence of multiple projects also demonstrates how important the Horizon brand has become to Sony.
The company has been expanding its most successful franchises beyond traditional console games through television, PC releases and multiplayer projects.
However, expanding a popular franchise into multiple formats does not automatically guarantee success.
Each new project must still provide a reason for players to spend their time and money.
Sony’s Difficult Live-Service Strategy
The reported problems surrounding Horizon Hunters Gathering are particularly notable because Sony has spent several years aggressively pursuing live-service games.
In 2022, Sony announced plans to launch as many as 10 live-service games by March 2026.
The strategy was designed to help PlayStation generate recurring revenue through multiplayer games that could remain active for years.
Unlike a traditional single-player game, a successful live-service title can generate income through expansions, cosmetic items, seasonal content and other ongoing features.
However, building a successful live-service game is extremely difficult.
The market is already dominated by major titles with large, dedicated player communities. New games must compete not only for money but also for players’ time.
A gamer may only have enough time to actively play one or two major online games.
That makes launching another successful live-service title incredibly challenging.
Helldivers 2 Remains Sony’s Biggest Success
Sony has experienced at least one major success in the live-service space with Helldivers 2.
The cooperative shooter became a major hit and demonstrated that PlayStation can succeed with online multiplayer games when the concept, gameplay and community all come together.
Helldivers 2 also showed that players can embrace a cooperative game without requiring a traditional competitive multiplayer structure.
Its success may provide useful lessons for Sony and Guerrilla as they reconsider the future of Horizon Hunters Gathering.
A strong cooperative gameplay loop, regular content and a clear identity may be more important than simply labeling a game as a live-service experience.
Sony Has Canceled Several Multiplayer Projects
Unfortunately, Helldivers 2 has been more of an exception than the rule for Sony’s live-service strategy.
Several projects have reportedly been canceled or significantly changed.
Naughty Dog canceled its planned multiplayer game based on The Last of Us in 2023 after determining that supporting the project as a long-term live-service game would require significant resources.
Sony also faced one of its biggest gaming disappointments with Concord, which failed to gain a sustainable player base.
Reports have also suggested that other multiplayer projects based on major PlayStation franchises were canceled during development.
Meanwhile, Sony’s relationship with Bungie has also faced challenges as the company attempted to use the experienced live-service developer as part of its broader strategy.
These developments have raised questions about whether Sony placed too much emphasis on chasing the live-service market.
Could a Traditional Co-Op Game Be the Better Choice?
For Horizon Hunters Gathering, a more focused cooperative game could ultimately be a better fit.
The Horizon universe already contains many ingredients that could work well in a co-op experience.
Players could form teams to hunt massive machines, complete story missions, gather resources and explore dangerous environments.
A traditional co-op structure could also reduce the pressure to constantly release new seasonal content.
Instead of requiring players to return every day or every week, the game could focus on delivering a polished experience with replayable missions and optional updates.
This approach may be more aligned with Guerrilla Games’ experience.
The studio has built its reputation through carefully designed gameplay systems and cinematic storytelling rather than maintaining massive live-service ecosystems.
The Future of Horizon Hunters Gathering Remains Unclear
For now, Horizon Hunters Gathering’s future remains uncertain.
The project has reportedly not been canceled, but its next major development milestone could determine what happens next.
Guerrilla Games appears to be facing a difficult challenge: keeping the multiplayer concept alive while making enough changes to address concerns raised during player testing.
The reported shift toward cooperative gameplay and story content could be a positive sign.
Rather than forcing the Horizon franchise into a live-service model simply because the industry sees recurring online revenue as attractive, Guerrilla may be trying to build a game that better matches the strengths of the franchise.
Final Thoughts
The reported overhaul of Horizon Hunters Gathering highlights the difficulties Sony continues to face in its attempt to build successful live-service games.
While Sony has achieved a major multiplayer success with Helldivers 2, several other projects have struggled, been canceled or failed to meet expectations.
For Guerrilla Games, the decision to move Horizon Hunters Gathering toward a more traditional cooperative format could provide an opportunity to create something better suited to the Horizon universe.
The franchise has always been strongest when combining impressive technology, exciting combat and memorable storytelling.
If Guerrilla can successfully bring those elements into a cooperative experience, Horizon Hunters Gathering could still become an important addition to PlayStation’s gaming lineup.
However, with reports suggesting that the project will face another major evaluation later this year, its future may depend on whether Guerrilla can convince Sony that the reworked version offers something players truly want.
For now, Horizon fans will have to wait and see whether the game’s transformation can turn a troubled live-service project into the next major cooperative adventure in the Horizon universe.
