The Horizon universe is getting a little bigger as Sony and Guerrilla have revealed plans for a new co-op game, Horizon Hunters Gathering. The title is set in the same world as the two previous Horizon games, except now up to three players will be able to team up and take on the lethal machine creatures that overrun the land.
In a post on Sony’s official PlayStation site, Guerrilla noted that the events of this game are canonical, and that the “story doesn’t stop at launch.” Players will have the option to pick their favorite character from a roster of hunters, each of whom uses their own preferred weapons, tactics, and play styles. The game also utilizes a rogue-lite perk system that lets players customize their characters to better serve their preferences.
Horizon Hunters Gathering will have a narrative campaign that will “introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats.” Each of the playable characters has their own backstory and personal history that will be explored over the length of the game. Teamwork is going to be an essential part of the game, as players can do more together than they can apart.
The first beta playtest for Horizon Hunters Gathering will take place near the end of February and utilize two of the game’s modes: Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent. The former is described as “a high-intensity mission where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss.” However, Cauldron Descent is going to be “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.”
Players who want to take part in next month’s beta test can sign up for the PlayStation Beta Program.
Late last year, Sony settled its lawsuit with Tencent over a Horizon-lookalike game that the former had listed on Steam. That title, Light of Motiram, is no longer being released. Sony and NCSoft have also revealed plans for a MMORPG called Horizon Steel Frontiers, which will be available on mobile and PC. However, Steel Frontiers isn’t currently planned for PS5.