Guerrilla Games overhauls Horizon Hunters Gathering to remove live service
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Guerrilla Games has reportedly reworked Horizon Hunters Gathering to strip out its live service elements, following negative feedback from early private playtests. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the studio has spent months since June rebuilding the title into a more traditional co-op multiplayer game with a story mode and a much smaller scope, rather than cancelling it outright. The episode is one of a lengthy series of live service setbacks at Sony, underlining the company's continued struggle to establish itself in the genre.
Guerrilla Games reportedly had until December to satisfy PlayStation executives, with many staff moved off the project onto another in-house title that was itself under review by year's end. The report placed the reboot alongside other Sony live service troubles, including the shutdown of Concord, the cancellation of a God of War live service project that led to Bluepoint Games' closure, the axing of Naughty Dog's Last of Us multiplayer game reportedly at 80% completion, a scrapped Twisted Metal battle royale, Marathon's weak reception, and the quiet, director-less state of Fairgames.
- Guerrilla Games reportedly reworked Horizon Hunters Gathering, dropping live service features.
- Studio had until December 2025 to win over PlayStation executives.
- Part of a long run of Sony live service setbacks, including Concord's shutdown.
New here? Start with this
Guerrilla Games, the Dutch studio behind the Horizon series, has been developing a new game called Horizon Hunters Gathering. It was originally planned as a "live service" title, meaning an online game built around ongoing updates, persistent multiplayer and continuing monetisation rather than a one-off purchase. Early tests of that version reportedly went badly, prompting a rethink.
The game's owner, Sony, has been trying for years to build a successful live service business to rival other big multiplayer games, but its track record has been rocky. Previous attempts, including the shooter Concord and online modes for God of War and The Last of Us, were cancelled or shut down, while other projects have struggled to find an audience.
Horizon Hunters Gathering matters because it is one of Sony's remaining bets in this area, and Guerrilla Games is a studio with a strong reputation thanks to the mainline Horizon games. How the studio adapts the project, and whether Sony judges the results a success, is being watched as a marker of whether the company can make live service gaming work at all.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The decision reflects prudent business strategy given the playtester feedback and Sony's track record in live service games. Live service demands exceptional player retention and imposes continuous operational costs, making them extraordinarily risky if early signals prove problematic. Redirecting resources toward a story-driven co-op experience acknowledges market realities whilst salvaging the investment through a more sustainable format better suited to the studio's capabilities.
The case against
Live service represents a growth market with substantial revenue potential for those executing well, as evidenced by titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends; pivoting signals strategic retreat from an increasingly important space. Early playtesting feedback often proves misleading during development, and mid-project pivots themselves squander accumulated progress and momentum. Sony should commit to developing live service expertise rather than retreating whenever initial feedback proves unfavourable, as persistent course corrections prevent the studio from building the experience necessary to compete effectively.
More coverage
- GamesRadar+ — PlayStation reportedly reworking live service Horizon Hunters Gathering into a smaller, more traditional co-op game following ill-received playtests
- GameSpot — Horizon Multiplayer Game Being Rebooted To Remove Live-Service, Next Mainline Horizon Game “Years Away,” Report Says
- Push Square — PlayStation Scaling Back Horizon Live Service PS5 Game as Sony Failures Continue
- Engadget — Guerrilla is reportedly overhauling Horizon Hunters Gathering to make it more of a traditional co-op game
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Eurogamer as “Horizon Hunters Gathering is reportedly no longer a live service game following negative feedback”.