Despite some struggles in the live-service category, Sony seemingly remains fairly bullish on the prospects for the live-service category. One of the company's next big online multiplayer game is Horizon Hunters Gathering, a cooperative take on the popular Horizon series that has remained, until now, a single-player experience. It is still somewhat early days for Horizon Hunters Gathering, but Sony and developer Guerrilla Games have begun to share a number of key details about the project.
Read on to learn everything we know so far about the upcoming multiplayer game.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is the multiplayer Horizon game that had been rumored for years. It's separate from NCSoft's Horizon MMO that is not coming to PS5. In 2025, a higher-up at Guerrilla said the Horizon series had been designed from the onset with multiplayer in mind.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is a co-op action game that supports up to three players in a group, with its visual style taking a markedly different look than the main Horizon series. Horizon Hunters Gathering has more vibrant visuals and gives off Fortnite energy in terms of its looks.
Players will work together to fight the deadly, animal-like machines that the Horizon series is known for. Guerrilla has said the game's combat is "tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based."
The core of Horizon Hunters Gathering are replayable "hunts," which are missions players go on together. The game will have multiple modes, and two have been revealed so far. Machine Incursion is described as a "high-intensity mission" where players face off against waves of machines, led by a boss. The second is Cauldron Descent, which is a "longer, multi-stage" mode where players are put into "ever-changing rooms" that will test players "to their limits," Guerrilla said.
The game features a roster of Hunters, each with their own special melee or ranged skills and specific weapons. Players are encouraged to assemble a team with the best complementary skillsets to win.
Horizon Hunters Gathering also features a social hub where players can "connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together." In the social hub, players can customize their characters, buy items from vendors, and upgrade their gear as they prepare for the next mission. It sounds like if Horizon Hunters Gathering has an in-game shop to further monetize the game, it will be in the social hub.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is playable solo, but not completely. People who play alone will be grouped with two NPCs. The game supports matchmaking for people looking for a group.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is a multiplayer online game, but it also has a "narrative campaign" that will "introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats," Guerrilla said. "But we're keeping it under wraps for now." For now, the developer confirmed only that Horizon Hunters Gathering is "fully canon" to the wider universe that "its story doesn't stop at launch." The game's story takes place after the events of Horizon Forbidden West.
Sony said people do not need to have played any previous Horizon game toe enjoy Horizon Hunters Gathering, but the game will have "familiar lore, machines, environments, and characters" that people who know the franchise will recognize. However, we do not know if Aloy--the main character and hero of the mainline games--will appear in the game.
Horizon Hunters Gathering does not have a release date. The footage so far suggests the game is deep into its development cycle, and Guerrilla will start allowing public testers to play this month. Sony has said its live-service games will release simultaneously across PS5 and PC, so PC fans won't have to wait like they do for Sony's single-player games on PC.
Horizon Hunters Gathering will allow a select group of people to play early to help provide the developer with feedback. The first test, which is described a "small-scale closed playtest," will take place at the end of February. You can sign up for the PlayStation Beta Program for a chance to get in to the test, which will be held on PS5 and PC.
There is no guarantee you'll get in, and the test being "closed" means participants likely will not be permitted to share footage or feedback publicly (though history suggests this may happen anyway). The beta will support the previously mentioned Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent modes.
It's unknown if there will be an open beta or test of some kind for Horizon Hunters Gathering.
Horizon Hunters Gathering supports cross-play and cross-progression between PS5 and PC, so people can party up with those on different platforms, while progress is retained if people want to jump to a different platform. Players need to use the same PlayStation account for this.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is in development at Guerrilla Games. Beyond the Horizon series, the Dutch developer owned by Sony is known for the Killzone franchise.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is in the works for PS5 and PC. Sony has not announced any plans to bring it to Xbox or Switch.
Preorders for Horizon Hunters Gathering are not yet available. What's more, Sony has not said if Horizon Hunters Gathering will be a free title like other live-service games, or if it will be paid.
Yes, you will need a PlayStation Plus membership to play Horizon Hunters Gathering. It must be at the Essential tier or higher.
As mentioned, Sony has a spotty track record with live-service projects. The company's biggest recent struggle in the live-service department is no doubt Concord, which shut down and had its developer shuttered not long after launch.
Sony was at one point planning at least a dozen live-service game, but later scaled back these ambitions and halved the planned output. Some of the live-service projects to be canceled included The Last of Us Online, a God of War game, and a title from Days Gone's developer.
Sony has also seen big success with live-service games, including Helldivers 2 and the MLB The Show franchise. Recently, Sony CFO Lin Tao discussed Sony's ambitions for live-service games, saying titles like Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show are bringing in stable recurring revenue and that the company believes Bungie's Marathon will be "enjoyed by many" when it releases in March. Sony also owns Bungie and the Destiny franchise, which is part of the live-service category.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is canon, but it's not a sequel to Horizon Forbidden West per se. People are waiting for the seemingly inevitable Horizon 3, and according to multiple reports, the game is coming--but probably not anytime soon. One report said staff from Horizon 3 was pulled into Horizon Hunters Gathering, and that the majority of Guerrilla's staff is working on the multiplayer game. A third Horizon game in the main series is coming, the reports said, but people should not expect it to release until 2029-2031, at which time it may be a PS6 game.
In addition to Horizon Hunters Gathering and the rumored Horizon 3, NCSoft is making the aforementioned Horizon MMO, Steel Frontiers.
PlayStation Productions and Columbia Pictures are working on a Horizon movie, which could begin filming in 2026 and release in 2027. However, there is no word yet on a cast or director for the film.
The Horizon movie is just one of many films or TV shows based on PlayStation's franchises currently in the works. Others include a Helldivers movie, Ghost of Tsushima anime and film projects, a Days Gone movie, and a God of War TV show. There is also the hit TV show The Last of Us, based on the Naughty Dog game, which is coming back in 2027 for its third and potentially final season.
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Read on to learn everything we know so far about the upcoming multiplayer game.
What is Horizon Hunters Gathering?
Horizon Hunters Gathering is the multiplayer Horizon game that had been rumored for years. It's separate from NCSoft's Horizon MMO that is not coming to PS5. In 2025, a higher-up at Guerrilla said the Horizon series had been designed from the onset with multiplayer in mind.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is a co-op action game that supports up to three players in a group, with its visual style taking a markedly different look than the main Horizon series. Horizon Hunters Gathering has more vibrant visuals and gives off Fortnite energy in terms of its looks.
Players will work together to fight the deadly, animal-like machines that the Horizon series is known for. Guerrilla has said the game's combat is "tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based."
The core of Horizon Hunters Gathering are replayable "hunts," which are missions players go on together. The game will have multiple modes, and two have been revealed so far. Machine Incursion is described as a "high-intensity mission" where players face off against waves of machines, led by a boss. The second is Cauldron Descent, which is a "longer, multi-stage" mode where players are put into "ever-changing rooms" that will test players "to their limits," Guerrilla said.
The game features a roster of Hunters, each with their own special melee or ranged skills and specific weapons. Players are encouraged to assemble a team with the best complementary skillsets to win.
Horizon Hunters Gathering also features a social hub where players can "connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together." In the social hub, players can customize their characters, buy items from vendors, and upgrade their gear as they prepare for the next mission. It sounds like if Horizon Hunters Gathering has an in-game shop to further monetize the game, it will be in the social hub.
Is Horizon Hunters Gathering playable solo?
Horizon Hunters Gathering is playable solo, but not completely. People who play alone will be grouped with two NPCs. The game supports matchmaking for people looking for a group.
Does Horizon Hunters Gathering have a story, and will Aloy show up?
Horizon Hunters Gathering is a multiplayer online game, but it also has a "narrative campaign" that will "introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats," Guerrilla said. "But we're keeping it under wraps for now." For now, the developer confirmed only that Horizon Hunters Gathering is "fully canon" to the wider universe that "its story doesn't stop at launch." The game's story takes place after the events of Horizon Forbidden West.
Sony said people do not need to have played any previous Horizon game toe enjoy Horizon Hunters Gathering, but the game will have "familiar lore, machines, environments, and characters" that people who know the franchise will recognize. However, we do not know if Aloy--the main character and hero of the mainline games--will appear in the game.
When will Horizon Hunters Gathering be released?
Horizon Hunters Gathering does not have a release date. The footage so far suggests the game is deep into its development cycle, and Guerrilla will start allowing public testers to play this month. Sony has said its live-service games will release simultaneously across PS5 and PC, so PC fans won't have to wait like they do for Sony's single-player games on PC.
How to sign up for the Horizon Hunters Gathering beta
Horizon Hunters Gathering will allow a select group of people to play early to help provide the developer with feedback. The first test, which is described a "small-scale closed playtest," will take place at the end of February. You can sign up for the PlayStation Beta Program for a chance to get in to the test, which will be held on PS5 and PC.
There is no guarantee you'll get in, and the test being "closed" means participants likely will not be permitted to share footage or feedback publicly (though history suggests this may happen anyway). The beta will support the previously mentioned Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent modes.
It's unknown if there will be an open beta or test of some kind for Horizon Hunters Gathering.
Does Horizon Hunters Gathering support cross-play and cross-progression?
Horizon Hunters Gathering supports cross-play and cross-progression between PS5 and PC, so people can party up with those on different platforms, while progress is retained if people want to jump to a different platform. Players need to use the same PlayStation account for this.
Who is making Horizon Hunters Gathering?
Horizon Hunters Gathering is in development at Guerrilla Games. Beyond the Horizon series, the Dutch developer owned by Sony is known for the Killzone franchise.
Horizon Hunters Gathering trailer
Horizon Hunters Gathering platforms
Horizon Hunters Gathering is in the works for PS5 and PC. Sony has not announced any plans to bring it to Xbox or Switch.
Horizon Hunters Gathering preorders
Preorders for Horizon Hunters Gathering are not yet available. What's more, Sony has not said if Horizon Hunters Gathering will be a free title like other live-service games, or if it will be paid.
Does Horizon Hunters Gathering require PS Plus?
Yes, you will need a PlayStation Plus membership to play Horizon Hunters Gathering. It must be at the Essential tier or higher.
Sony's history with live-service games
As mentioned, Sony has a spotty track record with live-service projects. The company's biggest recent struggle in the live-service department is no doubt Concord, which shut down and had its developer shuttered not long after launch.
Sony was at one point planning at least a dozen live-service game, but later scaled back these ambitions and halved the planned output. Some of the live-service projects to be canceled included The Last of Us Online, a God of War game, and a title from Days Gone's developer.
Sony has also seen big success with live-service games, including Helldivers 2 and the MLB The Show franchise. Recently, Sony CFO Lin Tao discussed Sony's ambitions for live-service games, saying titles like Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show are bringing in stable recurring revenue and that the company believes Bungie's Marathon will be "enjoyed by many" when it releases in March. Sony also owns Bungie and the Destiny franchise, which is part of the live-service category.
What about the next mainline Horizon game?
Horizon Hunters Gathering is canon, but it's not a sequel to Horizon Forbidden West per se. People are waiting for the seemingly inevitable Horizon 3, and according to multiple reports, the game is coming--but probably not anytime soon. One report said staff from Horizon 3 was pulled into Horizon Hunters Gathering, and that the majority of Guerrilla's staff is working on the multiplayer game. A third Horizon game in the main series is coming, the reports said, but people should not expect it to release until 2029-2031, at which time it may be a PS6 game.
In addition to Horizon Hunters Gathering and the rumored Horizon 3, NCSoft is making the aforementioned Horizon MMO, Steel Frontiers.
The Horizon movie
PlayStation Productions and Columbia Pictures are working on a Horizon movie, which could begin filming in 2026 and release in 2027. However, there is no word yet on a cast or director for the film.
The Horizon movie is just one of many films or TV shows based on PlayStation's franchises currently in the works. Others include a Helldivers movie, Ghost of Tsushima anime and film projects, a Days Gone movie, and a God of War TV show. There is also the hit TV show The Last of Us, based on the Naughty Dog game, which is coming back in 2027 for its third and potentially final season.
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