Sony Interactive Entertainment is pivoting its online multiplayer spin-off set in the Horizon universe away from a live-service model toward a traditional cooperative title with a narrative focus, according to industry reports.
The project, known as Horizon Hunters Gathering and developed by Guerrilla Games, originally featured episodic story updates, loot-driven hub mechanics, and multi-mode survival gameplay. However, following unfavorable feedback from early playtests, Sony is stripping away its ongoing live-service elements to reshape it into a smaller, more straightforward co-op experience. According to details reported by Bloomberg, the development team has until December to demonstrate the revamped concept to company executives, while several staff members are being reassigned to other internal Sony studios. PlayStation has declined to comment on the matter.
This course correction highlights broader challenges in Sony's ongoing effort to capture a share of the live-service market. Despite executive statements reaffirming commitment to the genre, the publisher has faced notable setbacks, including the quick closure of Concord, staff reductions at Bungie, and the cancellation of multiplayer spin-offs for core franchises like The Last of Us and Spider-Man.
Meanwhile, fans awaiting the next major single-player entry in the series will have to wait, as a direct sequel to 2022's Horizon Forbidden West is reportedly still several years away from release.
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