Guerrilla and PlayStation have lifted the lid on Horizon Hunters Gathering, a new co-op game set for PC and PS5.
Introducing the studio’s next game, Guerrilla lead Jan-Bart van Beek said while the team will still keep making single player games (“they are a huge part of who we are as a studio,” van Beek said), it was time to try something new. And this is where Horizon Hunters Gathering comes in.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is described as a tactical co-op action game, which allows up to three players to join up as “heroic Hunters” to protect the world. But, not just any world, though. This one – as you would expect from the Horizon series – is “under threat from deadly machines”.
Guerilla stated in a new PlayStation blog post that the upcoming game will include combat that is “tactical, reactive and deeply skill-based” (which, to be honest, means I probably won’t be very good at it, as I am more of a ‘spray and pray’ kinda gal). All of this will take place in replayable hunts, the developer explained, before going into more detail about two game modes.
The first of these is Machine Incursion, which is “a high-intensity mission where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss”. Then there is Cauldron Descent, which is 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”.
Before setting out on these hunts, players will be able to choose from a roster of hunters with varying skills, motivations and “personal struggles”. This is all part of the new stories Guerrilla wants to tell within its Horizon world.
“The game has a narrative campaign which will introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats, but we’re keeping it under wraps for now,” the developer teased. “What we can say is that Hunters Gathering is fully canon and its story doesn’t stop at launch!”
If this sounds like your thing, Guerrill has announced a first, small-scale closed playtest for the end of the month; you can sign up via the PlayStation Beta Program and mark your interest in any future Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest on PC or PS5.
“This is both an exciting and daunting step for us,” Horizon Hunters Gathering game director Arjan Bak said. “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.
“On behalf of everyone at Guerrilla, thank you to our Horizon fans and creators who support and believe in us. And welcome to all new Hunters excited to join us on this adventure. Horizon Hunters Gathering is about taking on challenges together – and we’re just getting started.”
You can check out the full trailer for Horizon Hunters Gathering below.
Last year, it was reported that PlayStation and Guerrilla’s Horizon franchise had surpassed 40m copies sold.
In addition to Horizon Hunters Gathering, there is also a Horizon MMO from NCSoft on the cards. Horizon Steel Frontiers, as it is known, is described as a “fierce survival adventure”, in which players take on the role of machine hunters in a region known as Deathlands. The team promises “large-scale raids” and an “advanced combat system” on the game’s eventual release.
