Sony Retools Horizon Multiplayer Game Away From Live-Service
Guerrilla Games is reportedly reducing the scope of the Horizon multiplayer title, shifting from live-service elements to a traditional co-op game with a story mode. The decision follows poor feedback from closed playtests, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is reportedly retooling its upcoming Horizon multiplayer game, which is titled Horizon Hunters Gathering and currently being developed by Guerrilla Games. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, the development team is shifting the project's overall direction away from its original live-service design toward a more traditional co-op game format that includes a dedicated story mode.
This significant pivot in the game's design and development comes directly in the wake of poor feedback gathered from closed playtests. The studio's leadership and the development teams have apparently listened to the responses of playtesters and are actively reducing the scope of the project to better align with player expectations for a narrative-driven co-op experience rather than a sustained live-service offering.
The adjustments being made to Horizon Hunters Gathering arrive within a broader context of strategic shifts at Sony Interactive Entertainment regarding its online and multiplayer initiatives. Previously, the major entertainment corporation had ambitious plans to release a total of 10 live-service games by March of recent years, a multi-game rollout intended to expand the company's footprint in the ongoing-service sector of the gaming industry.
However, those sweeping corporate plans encountered substantial hurdles as development progressed across various studios. In the time since setting that initial target of 10 live-service projects, Sony has already canceled several of the multiplayer titles that were previously slated for release under that ambitious corporate initiative, demonstrating a clear reassessment of its portfolio strategy.
As Guerrilla Games works to restructure Horizon Hunters Gathering into a traditional co-op game equipped with a story mode, the future roadmap for Sony's multiplayer offerings continues to evolve. The studio has not yet provided a definitive public release window for the retooled title following the implementation of these substantial design changes.
