Announcing Horizon Hunters Gathering, Guerrilla’s new co-op action game – PlayStation.Blog

Today marks a monumental step for Guerrilla as a studio, as we announce our new chapter in the Horizon universe: Horizon Hunters Gathering.

With the first ideas that shaped the world of Horizon, we dreamed of players hunting for machines together. We started with a small group of Guerrillas – including myself when I was Design Director – and began exploring what that group might look like. Based on our experience from the multiplayer title Killzone and the momentum of Horizon Zero Dawn, we’re looking to bring cooperative action to the Horizon franchise.

Since then, the team and the game have grown tremendously. Throughout its development, we’ve done extensive testing, patching, and feedback iterations. One of my favorite moments was our first test run in the studio with the entire team: a special milestone where the vision and hard work of every discipline finally came together in playable form. It’s always nerve-wracking to share early versions, but moments like that test, as well as today’s announcement, make it worthwhile.

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Horizon Hunters Gathering is a cooperative action game (developed by Guerrilla for PS5 and PC) that lets up to three players work together as heroic Hunters to protect a world threatened by deadly machines. Combat is tactical, reactive, and highly skill-based, building on the tactical precision of Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play.

The foundation of Horizon Hunters Gathering is centered on challenging, repeatable hunts. Today we reveal two game modes: Machine Incursion, a high-intensity mission where waves of machines pour out of an underground gate, led by a tough boss; and Cauldron Descent, a longer, multi-stage trial in which constantly changing rooms push Hunters to their limits, from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and rewards for the team ready to open them.

Both modes will be available in our upcoming closed playtest via the PlayStation Beta Program on PS5 and PC. We’re excited to see players get directly involved and help shape the game with their input.

In Horizon Hunters Gathering, you choose from a list of Hunters with unique skills – each with a different playstyle and melee or ranged weapon – and choose a Hunter role which is then equipped with a rogue-lite perk system to create a build that best suits your style and team.

These Hunters each have their own personal motivations and struggles, which come together in the new story we want to tell in the world of Horizon. The game has a narrative campaign that will introduce new mysteries, characters and threats, but we’re keeping that under wraps for now. All we can say is that Hunters Gathering is completely canon and the story doesn’t stop at launch!

As you hunt dangerous machines in the wild, you’ll journey through a variety of environments that bring the missions and story to life. Each location offers its own atmosphere, challenges and opportunities for your team to explore and master together.

Between missions, you’ll return to the Hunters Gathering: a dynamic social hub where players can connect, gear up, and celebrate wins together. Here, you can customize your Hunter, visit vendors, upgrade your gear, and team up for your next adventure.

With today’s announcement, we begin a journey that we hope to continue with you. Our first small-scale closed playtest will be coming at the end of February; You can sign up via the PlayStation Beta Program and mark your interest in a future trial of Horizon Hunters Gathering on PC or PS5. Speaking of which, Horizon Hunters Gathering supports cross-play between PS5 and PC, plus cross-progression when you log in and save your game using the same PlayStation account!

While it’s still in the early stages, you can expect more regular development updates and playtest announcements from us in the coming months. To keep up with all the latest news about the game, we’ve launched a new Horizon Hunters Gathering Discord – we’d love to see you there!

Personally, this is both an exciting and scary step for us. Multiplayer gaming has always been part of our studio’s DNA, and it’s where I started my own career. Bringing a cooperative hunting experience to the world of Horizon is something we’ve dreamed of for a long time, and we approached it with care, ambition, and passion. I hope the next few months give you an idea of ​​the scale and complexity of what we’ve built – or better yet, let you experience it for yourself in trials.

On behalf of everyone at Guerrilla, thank you to the fans and creators of Horizon who support and believe in us. And welcome to all new Hunters who are eager to join us on this adventure. Horizon Hunters Gathering is about facing challenges together – and we’re just getting started.