Horizon Hunters Gathering Is Pivoting Away from Live Service, But Changes Still May Not Save It

Earlier this year, Guerrilla Games unveiled a brand-new Horizon spin-off. Unlike the single-player main series games, Horizon Hunters Gathering will have a co-op, multiplayer focus. The news drew a mixed reaction from fans, who are eager to see the next true, mainline installment in the Horizon franchise. Along with its multiplayer focus, the game’s live service elements left many fans feeling lukewarm towards the project. Now, following feedback from early playtests, Horizon Hunters Gathering is reportedly getting a major overhaul. But it may not be enough to keep the spin-off alive.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, the team working on Horizon Hunters Gathering is in the midst of a massive overhaul. Guerrilla Games has reportedly been making major changes to the game since June, in response to feedback from early playtests. Most notably, the game’s live-service elements are being pulled in favor of a more traditional, story-based multiplayer game. However, sources suggest that the game may be at risk of cancellation even with the massive changes in the works. Here’s what we know.

Horizon Hunters Gathering Playtests Led to Widespread Overhaul

Like many big gaming companies, PlayStation has been leaning into live service games for the last few years. Making a live-service spin-off of one of its big franchises was a natural evolution of that emphasis. When it was first revealed, Horizon Hunters Gathering was pitched as a sort of online multiplayer roguelike monster hunter. Teams of three players would team up to hunt monster bosses, sort of like a Horizon twist on Elden Ring Nightreign. Since it was revealed, the game has had two rounds of closed beta playtesting on PlayStation.

However, it sounds like early playtests of the game haven’t been going well. Player feedback has apparently been pretty negative thus far, and it’s led PlayStation and Guerrilla to strip live-service content from the game entirely. Given gamers’ overall negative feelings towards live service, that’s not terribly surprising news. Though live-service games like Fortnite make up a big percentage of active player numbers, many people prefer more traditionally structured games that have an actual story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Supposedly, adding a story mode to Horizon Hunters Gathering is part of the overhaul. But the game will remain focused on co-op, just without the live service elements. It’s also expected to be smaller in scope than the original concept, likely because of the removal of live-service content updates. From the sound of it, the game will look a lot different from the initial plans… if it launches at all. Several members of the team have reportedly been moved to other projects, and sources told Bloomberg that the team “will have through December to impress executives” with the next build. That could well mean that, if PlayStation doesn’t like what it sees from the overhaul, Horizon Hunters Gathering could be scrapped altogether.

Horizon Hunters Gathering is one of two spin-offs in the works, along with the MMORPG Horizon Steel Frontiers. Both are pivots from the usual Horizon single-player formula, focused on multiplayer elements. As for Horizon 3, we don’t yet know much about the next main series installment. If Horizon Hunters Gathering does make it across the finish line, it’s safe to say it may take longer than originally planned to release.

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