Sony reportedly reverses course on live service co-op Horizon game after 'negative player feedback'

Guerilla Games is altering its plans for a live service co-op game based on the Horizon universe after receiving unfavorable player feedback during recent playtesting sessions, according to Bloomberg. Originally designed as a live service cooperative action game, the title "Horizon Hunters Gathering" would have allowed players to team up as animated heroes to battle mechanical creatures.

However, during three playtests earlier this year, the game encountered challenges, notably when competing with Sony's Marathon server slam weekend. Rather than canceling the project, Sony has granted the development team several months to retool it into a traditional co-op game with a narrative arc and a more manageable scale. According to Bloomberg's sources, Sony informed the team earlier today that they must deliver an impressive update by December to regain executive confidence.

Failure to meet this milestone could result in the game joining a list of previously canceled Sony live service projects, which includes titles like God of War, The Last of Us, and Spider-Man. Most of the developers working on "Horizon Hunters Gathering" have been reassigned to other projects, with a smaller group within Guerilla Games currently focused on the next single-player Horizon game.

The shift away from live service games appears to be a trend at Sony, following the cancellation of Destiny 2 and the contentious end to the Helldivers 2 development. Only Helldivers 2 and the sports franchise MLB The Show are showing success in the live service category, likely due to their established fan bases and third-party development.

Additionally, a live service heist game called Fairgames is in development, but little information has been shared since 2023, leaving its future uncertain.