Horizon was always meant “as a multiplayer game,” Guerrilla Games reveals

Despite its reputation as a single-player experience on PlayStation consoles, the Horizon franchise was envisioned as a multiplayer game from its inception, according to Guerrilla Games’ studio head, Jan-Bart van Beek. The executive shared this perspective while commenting on the recent announcement of the upcoming spin-off MMO, Horizon Steel Frontiers. Van Beek noted, “From the first moment we imagined Horizon, we always thought about it as a multiplayer game,” clarifying the studio’s intention to expand the universe beyond Aloy’s core solo adventures.

Van Beek framed the recently released Lego Horizon Adventures—a brick-built retelling of Aloy’s first journey—as the studio’s “first small step” into the realm of multiplayer. He followed this by stating, “With Steel Frontiers we’re taking a bigger one,” with the promise that there is “much more to come” for the popular series.

Expanding the Horizon universe

The newly unveiled Horizon Steel Frontiers is a collaborative project being developed by NCSoft, a company known for its expertise in the MMO genre. This new title is described as a “fierce survival adventure” where players step into the role of machine hunters in a perilous new region called the Deathlands. The goal is to provide a massive, dynamic online world where players can team up for “large-scale raids” utilizing an “advanced combat system” that emphasizes cooperation and strategy in taking down the enormous, iconic machines. For players looking for a more persistent and shared experience, this MMORPG is poised for release on PC and mobile platforms, notably without an announced PlayStation release at this time.

Industry reports suggest that Horizon Steel Frontiers is completely separate from a distinct, dedicated multiplayer project currently in development at Guerrilla Games itself. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier confirmed this distinction, saying the in-house project is Guerrilla’s “next big project,” indicating that the franchise is set to receive two different online experiences that will significantly expand the ways players can engage with the post-apocalyptic world. This dual approach to multiplayer will allow Guerrilla to cater to both the massive-scale demands of the MMO genre and the potential for a focused, action-oriented co-op experience.

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