PlayStation Reportedly Reboots Horizon Multiplayer Spinoff Following Negative Feedback

Sony has reportedly rebooted PlayStation live-service game Horizon Hunters Gathering after negative feedback from playtests. Horizon Hunters Gathering is a multiplayer, cartoony spinoff from Guerrilla’s mainline, single-player Horizon series, which is known for its photorealistic visuals. Upon its announcement in February, Horizon Hunters Gathering was compared to Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, although many questioned whether it would find an audience. Closed playtests followed earlier this year, with a launch across PlayStation 5 and PC expected to follow. However, according to Bloomberg, Sony has ordered a reboot of the game amid negative feedback from the playtests. Apparently, Guerrilla has been working to reboot the game since June, and plans to strip out the live-service parts of the game to make it “a traditional cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode and a far smaller scope.” It sounds like there is a great deal of pressure on this reboot, too. Bloomberg said staff were told this week that Guerrilla has until December to impress PlayStation bosses with the game’s next milestone. It’s not canceled, but it sounds like it could be. Some Horizon Hunters Gathering staff are being moved over to another Guerrilla project with a milestone due at the end of this year, Bloomberg added. Apparently a “tiny team” is working on the next Horizon single-player game, which we’ll call Horizon 3 but will undoubtedly carry a new subtitle, but it’s still years away. When Horizon Hunters Gathering was announced, game director Arjan Bak said that in the game you'd fight deadly machines in tactical three-player co-op action and adapt your Hunter for intense missions. "Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play," Bak said at the time. "The foundation of Horizon Hunters Gathering centers around challenging and replayable hunts." Bak confirmed two game modes: Machine Incursion, which was described as "a high-intensity mission" where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a "formidable boss"; and Cauldron Descent, a longer, multi-stage trial in which "ever-changing rooms push Hunters to their limits, from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and reward for teams prepared to open them." Both modes were available in the closed playtests. There's a roster of Hunters to play as, each with distinct melee or ranged playstyles and weapons. Bak said there was also a roguelite perk system to craft the build you want. Story wise, there was a narrative campaign "which will introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats, but we’re keeping it under wraps for now," Bak said back in February. "What we can say is that Hunters Gathering is fully canon and its story doesn’t stop at launch!" The social hub is the name of the game: Hunters Gathering. It was "a vibrant social hub where players can connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together. Here, you can customize your Hunters, visit vendors, upgrade gear, and team up for your next adventure." It is unclear how much of this, if any, remains in the rebooted version of the game. Developing... Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Aug 19, 2026 - 21:19

PlayStation Reportedly Reboots Horizon Multiplayer Spinoff Following Negative Feedback

Sony has reportedly rebooted PlayStation live-service game Horizon Hunters Gathering after negative feedback from playtests.

Horizon Hunters Gathering is a multiplayer, cartoony spinoff from Guerrilla’s mainline, single-player Horizon series, which is known for its photorealistic visuals. Upon its announcement in February, Horizon Hunters Gathering was compared to Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, although many questioned whether it would find an audience.

Closed playtests followed earlier this year, with a launch across PlayStation 5 and PC expected to follow. However, according to Bloomberg, Sony has ordered a reboot of the game amid negative feedback from the playtests. Apparently, Guerrilla has been working to reboot the game since June, and plans to strip out the live-service parts of the game to make it “a traditional cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode and a far smaller scope.”

It sounds like there is a great deal of pressure on this reboot, too. Bloomberg said staff were told this week that Guerrilla has until December to impress PlayStation bosses with the game’s next milestone. It’s not canceled, but it sounds like it could be. Some Horizon Hunters Gathering staff are being moved over to another Guerrilla project with a milestone due at the end of this year, Bloomberg added.

Apparently a “tiny team” is working on the next Horizon single-player game, which we’ll call Horizon 3 but will undoubtedly carry a new subtitle, but it’s still years away.

When Horizon Hunters Gathering was announced, game director Arjan Bak said that in the game you'd fight deadly machines in tactical three-player co-op action and adapt your Hunter for intense missions.

"Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play," Bak said at the time. "The foundation of Horizon Hunters Gathering centers around challenging and replayable hunts."

Bak confirmed two game modes: Machine Incursion, which was described as "a high-intensity mission" where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a "formidable boss"; and Cauldron Descent, a longer, multi-stage trial in which "ever-changing rooms push Hunters to their limits, from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and reward for teams prepared to open them." Both modes were available in the closed playtests.

There's a roster of Hunters to play as, each with distinct melee or ranged playstyles and weapons. Bak said there was also a roguelite perk system to craft the build you want. Story wise, there was a narrative campaign "which will introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats, but we’re keeping it under wraps for now," Bak said back in February. "What we can say is that Hunters Gathering is fully canon and its story doesn’t stop at launch!"

The social hub is the name of the game: Hunters Gathering. It was "a vibrant social hub where players can connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together. Here, you can customize your Hunters, visit vendors, upgrade gear, and team up for your next adventure."

It is unclear how much of this, if any, remains in the rebooted version of the game.

Developing...

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

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