Horizon Hunters Gathering Announced: Guerrilla's Monster Hunter-Style Co-Op Game for PS5 & PC

The Horizon series returns, but this time with a twist. The heavily rumored Horizon Monster Hunter–like game that players have been hearing about for some time has now officially been revealed by Guerrilla Games.

Horizon Hunters Gathering is an online co-op action game set in the Horizon universe and will be canon with the story arc of the previous two titles - Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The game is much more stylized compared to the previous titles, with a slightly cartoonish and vibrant direction. The team has certainly taken a much different approach than what fans are used to. However, Guerrilla’s Studio Director, Jan-Bart Van Beek, stated that the team loves making single-player games and still plans to continue the Horizon campaign that fans have known and played over the years. Although they love single-player games, the team had “a longstanding dream to try something different” - their own take on how players could explore the world of Horizon together, as a team of machine hunters.

Gathering an elite crew of hunters, players will team up with two others as they set out to protect a world under threat from deadly machines. Guerrilla centers Horizon Hunters Gathering around challenging, replayable hunts with tactical, reactive, skill-based combat, bringing the feeling of previous Horizon combat to Hunters Gathering. Two game modes have been revealed:

• Machine Incursion: a high-intensity mission in which waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss.
• Cauldron Descent: a longer, multi-stage trial where ever-changing rooms push Hunters to their limits - from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and rewards for teams prepared to open them.

Both modes will be available with the upcoming closed playtest, where players can register via the PlayStation Beta Program on PS5 and PC.

Hunters will each feature their own unique set of skills, with a diverse range of playstyles and distinct melee and ranged weapons. The trailer revealed a rogue-like system. For those who don’t enjoy rogue-likes, hold on just one second… Hunter roles will feature a rogue-like perk system, which is set to craft each run with a build that will suit your play style. Guerrilla will certainly look to showcase this feature more in the future and help explain the system to fans who may not enjoy a rogue-like experience but still want to join the hunt.

Players head out into the wilds and travel across a wide range of environments, which is set to expand the lore and story through various missions. Player downtime can be found within the social hub - a gathering place where players can customize their Hunter, visit vendors, upgrade gear, and prepare for their next hunt.

Horizon Hunters Gathering may take a different approach to the latest adventure set within the Horizon universe - one that fans aren’t accustomed to - but with the popularity of other creature -hunting titles, Guerrilla may be able to keep players engaged with more Horizon content for years to come. The incentive with PlayStation’s live-service titles has taken a hard crash. Could Horizon Hunters Gathering steer the ship in the right direction?

In other Horizon news, fans who are looking for an MMORPG Horizon experience should look towards Horizon Steel Frontiers from NCSoft. The Light of Motriam lawsuit has concluded, with Sony having Tencent delist the game from storefronts. However, the future of the game is still unknown, as Tencent has gone quiet with the title.

Let us know what you think of Horizon Hunters Gathering in the comments below. Will you be taking up the challenge and hunting the machines of the wilds with friends?