Negative reception leads Sony to reformulate Horizon Hunters Gathering and reduce focus on live service
Sony has decided to significantly revise plans for Horizon Hunters Gathering, the new cooperative title from Guerrilla Games, according to information released on August 19, 2026. The project, which underwent a series of private tests, would be in a process of reformulation after receiving unfavorable reviews from players.
Sources close to the studio’s development, as revealed, indicate that Guerrilla has been working on this restructuring since June. The main change planned is the abandonment of much of the game-as-a-service architecture, migrating Hunters Gathering to a more conventional cooperative experience, with a focus on narrative and a considerably smaller scope.
This change in planning is notable, as the game was presented just a few months ago as one of PlayStation’s biggest multiplayer bets. Horizon Hunters Gathering was officially announced in February 2026 for PS5 and PC, promising the opportunity for groups of up to three players to face the characteristic machines of the Horizon universe.
At the time of the announcement, Guerrilla had detailed the presence of repeatable missions, a progression system with rogue-lite elements, a social hub, several playable characters and a narrative campaign that would be canonical within the franchise. The initial structure already signaled the intention to keep the game active for a long period, with Guerrilla Games itself stating that the story would not be completed at launch and that new content would be added later.
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In May, the studio carried out a second period of closed testing, which took place between the 22nd and 25th, including the introduction of new hunters, a new area and a playable episode. The performance and feedback collected during these tests are touted as the catalyst for the project’s recent change in direction.
Based on the lower-than-expected reception from private test participants, the new strategy aims to remove the game-as-a-service component and significantly scale down production. This does not imply, however, the end of the multiplayer aspect; Hunters Gathering should remain cooperative, but with less dependence on constant updates and maintaining continuous service over several years.
The current situation does not yet place Horizon Hunters Gathering on the list of projects discarded by PlayStation. Guerrilla employees were informed that the studio has a deadline, until December, to present a new stage of development that convinces Sony executives to proceed with the title.
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Additionally, part of the development team currently dedicated to Hunters Gathering may be reassigned to another unspecified project, which will also undergo evaluation at the end of the year.
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Sony, in turn, chose not to comment on the information conveyed in the report.
The same report suggests that the next big single-player focused Horizon title remains on the more distant horizon. According to the sources, only a small team would currently be focused on planning the next traditional chapter of the franchise, while the majority of the studio had been directed to the development of Hunters Gathering, corroborating previous indications that multiplayer had become Guerrilla’s main production.
Therefore, if the latest information is correct, the version of Horizon Hunters Gathering that eventually reaches the public could differ substantially from the one initially announced by Guerrilla Games at the beginning of the year.
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So far, Horizon Hunters Gathering continues with the official launch announcement for PS5 and PC, without, however, a defined release date.
