Sony and Guerrilla Games have completely restructured the multiplayer Horizon spinoff, Horizon Hunters Gathering, pivoting away from its initial live-service framework toward a traditional cooperative game featuring a story mode.
Project Reset After Playtest Feedback
The drastic shift occurred following negative internal playtest feedback gathered earlier this year. PlayStation executives intervened in June, forcing the development team to strip out the planned live-service components, which included the social hub and ongoing multiplayer infrastructure.
While the original concept centered on three-player tactical combat with modes like Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent, the exact feature set surviving this transition is currently undetermined.
December Deadline and Staff Reassignments
Guerrilla Games leadership faces a tight production schedule under the new directive. Studio personnel have been given until December to deliver a functioning milestone that satisfies PlayStation executives and proves the viability of the revised format.
Concurrently, internal restructuring has already begun. A portion of the development staff has been reassigned to an unannounced secondary project, which shares the same strict December review window imposed by corporate leadership.
Ultimately, this pivot reflects Sony’s ongoing retreat from high-risk live-service investments following previous internal missteps. By scaling Horizon Hunters Gathering down into a conventional co-op game with a dedicated story campaign, Guerrilla Games is attempting to salvage the spinoff under a more controlled budget and scope, with its survival hinging entirely on the critical evaluation scheduled for December.
