The next game in the Horizon franchise, after Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, is something very, very different. Horizon Hunters Gathering is a solo or cooperative action-focused hunting game with a vibrant art style and no release date.
On February 5, Sony and Horizon creators Guerrilla Games announced the next entry in the post-apocalyptic open-world robot dinosaur series. However, this time around, players won’t be playing as Aloy and exploring large, photorealistic worlds alone. Instead, Hunters Gathering is a “tactical co-op action game” for up to three players, though it does also support solo play with NPC bots. There is no release date for Hunters Gathering, but it will launch on both PS5 and PC.
Here’s a new 10-minute trailer from PlayStation about the just-announced game.
In Horizon Hunters Gathering, players go out solo or with up to two other players on “challenging and replayable hunts.” Each person picks a Hunter from a selection of playable characters with different melee and ranged weapons and abilities. There is also a “rogue-lite perk system” to further build out your character during each hunt. Between these hunts, players will return to a large “vibrant” social hub where players can meet up, prep for the next mission, and hang out. You can also customize your Hunters, visit shops, upgrade items, and team up for your next outing at this hub.
Hunters Gathering will feature a narrative campaign which will introduce “new mysteries, characters, and threats” to the world of Horizon. It is also a fully canon story and will be updated post-launch.
Guerrilla Games is promising a playtest toward the end of February that will feature two game modes and let folks get their hands on the game ahead of its full launch on PS5 and PC. The game will support crossplay and cross progression across console and PC. You can sign up for the early beta here. In the blog post announcing the game, it does sound like this thing is still fairly early on in development, so no idea if it will be out this year.
“On a personal note, this is both an exciting and daunting step for us,” said Guerrilla game director Arjan Bak. “Multiplayer games have always been part of our studio’s DNA, and it’s where I began my own career. Bringing a co-op hunting experience into the Horizon universe is something we’ve envisioned for a long time, and we’re approaching it with care, ambition, and passion. I hope the coming months give you a sense of the scale and complexity of what we’ve been building – or better yet, let you experience it yourself in a playtest.”
