Sony is apparently pulling the plug on another one of its live-service projects. According to a Bloomberg report, Guerrilla Games has been fundamentally reworking Horizon Hunters Gathering, announced in February, since June. The co-op action game, originally planned as a live-service title, is reportedly being transformed into a significantly smaller, classic co-op experience with a story mode.
Neither Sony nor Guerrilla Games have officially commented on the reports yet. Bloomberg cites internal sources, and several other outlets like Engadget, Kotaku, and GameInformer have independently confirmed the core statements.
Why is Horizon Hunters Gathering Being Reworked Now?
According to the report, the reason lies in three private playtests held throughout the year, which were poorly received by testers. One of the tests additionally suffered from coinciding with Marathon's major server-slam weekend, thus receiving little attention. The negative feedback was reportedly so significant internally that the studio decided on a complete change of course instead of sticking to the original concept.
What Specifically Changes in the Game?
The tactical co-op title, designed for up to three players with a live-service structure, a roguelite perk system, and a persistent social hub, is reportedly set to become a more traditional co-op game with a fixed story mode and a noticeably smaller scope. Live-service typical elements like a permanent seasonal structure and social hub are, according to the report, up for reconsideration. A large portion of the previous team has already been reallocated to another project, also internally evaluated.
How Much Time Does Guerrilla Games Have Left?
According to the report, the studio has until December to prove to management with a revised milestone that the new approach will pay off. Officially, the game is not considered canceled, but the pressure on the team is likely high: a PlayStation title that doesn't make it to the next internal review on time after a bumpy restart has rarely been given a second chance at Sony recently.
Is This Another Live-Service Backtrack for Sony?
This pattern is not entirely new. Since the flop of Concord in summer 2024, whose servers were shut down just two weeks after launch, Sony has shelved or reworked numerous live-service projects – including a multiplayer title in the Spider-Man universe, a live-service spin-off in the God of War environment at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, and an unannounced project at London Studio. Horizon Hunters Gathering would thus not be an isolated case but rather join a whole series of retractions with which Sony has approached the topic of live-service noticeably more cautiously since Concord. From our perspective, the overhaul is still a remarkably open change of course: instead of quietly burying a project, Guerrilla is visibly trying to save it – a risk not every studio would take.
For the main series featuring Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, the overhaul has no direct impact for now – Hunters Gathering was planned from the outset as a standalone spin-off and not as part of the main story.
What do you think: Can the overhaul still save Horizon Hunters Gathering, or will the game soon follow other canceled Sony projects? Discuss with us in the comments!
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