Horizon Hunters Gathering, the co-op action title in development at Guerrilla Games, has hit a hurdle. Sony is reportedly overhauling the title after negative player feedback on its live service elements. The multiplayer title is not yet cancelled, but it is being rebooted as a more traditional co-op game, according to a new Bloomberg report.
Guerrilla Games revealed Horizon Hunters Gathering in February, confirming the PvE co-op action title, where hunters work together to take down deadly machines from the Horizon franchise, as its next project. The studio, known for its single-player games and PlayStation hits like Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel Horizon Forbidden West, received pushback from fans over its foray into live service territory.
According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Horizon Hunters Gathering is the latest in a long line of Sony’s misfiring live service bets. Following negative feedback from players in an internal playtest earlier this year, the PlayStation parent is overhauling the game, the report said, citing people familiar with the company’s plans.
Horizon Hunters Gathering Rebooted
Guerrilla Games reportedly began rebooting Horizon Hunters Gathering as a traditional co-op multiplayer experience with a story mode in June. The studio is taking out the live service elements from the game and reducing the scope of the project, the report said.
Horizon Hunters Gathering isn’t cancelled yet, but its future remains in doubt. As per the report, Guerrilla Games have until December to impress Sony executives with the rebooted version of the game. Some of the developers working on the co-op game will also reportedly be reassigned to a separate project in the works at the studio.
A majority of Guerrilla Games staff has reportedly been working on Horizon Hunters Gathering. The studio has not confirmed a single-player sequel to Horizon Forbidden West, but according to the Bloomberg report, a small team has been developing the next entry in the series. The game is reportedly years away from completion.
Sony’s Live Service StrategyÂ
The reboot of Horizon Hunters Gathering marks yet another setback to Sony’s live service strategy, which has seen several projects being cancelled and studios shut down. Live service versions of the company’s biggest franchises have failed to get off the ground. These include The Last of Us Online and a multiplayer God of War game, both of which were cancelled.
As per the Bloomberg report, Sony has lost hundreds of millions of dollars and years in development time chasing live service projects. While some multiplayer bets have succeeded, most notably Helldivers 2, others have not. Last year, Concord, a PvP shooter from Sony-owned Firewalk Studios, was taken offline just two weeks after its release. The studio was shuttered after the game’s failure.
Earlier this year, Bluepoint Games was shut down after its pitch for a live service God of War game was rejected. In March, Sony launched Marathon, a new extraction shooter from Destiny maker Bungie. The game has since struggled to find players, despite releasing on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series S/X simultaneously. Bungie also released a final update for Destiny 2 and halted all future content. In June, Sony announced layoffs at the studio that impacted most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members.
Despite its live service misfires, Sony intends to release more multiplayer projects. In an interview in June, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) president and CEO Hideaki Nishino said the company will continue to back live service games.
