Hey, you know what the games industry needs right now? OK, well it can’t have that. But it can have a tactical co-op action game set in a franchise you already like.
“Today marks a monumental step for Guerrilla as a studio, as we announce our new chapter in the Horizon universe: Horizon Hunters Gathering,” Guerrilla announced this morning, promising both cross-play and cross-progression on PC and PS5.
“Horizon Hunters Gathering is a cooperative action game (developed by Guerrilla for PS5 and PC) that lets up to three players team up as heroic Hunters to protect a world under threat from deadly machines. Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play. The foundation of Horizon Hunters Gathering centers around challenging and replayable hunts. Today we’re revealing two game modes: Machine Incursion, a high-intensity mission where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss; and Cauldron Descent, 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.”
The studio says it’s planning playtests on PC and PS5, with the first small-scale one coming by the end of the month; you can already sign up.
“Multiplayer games have always been part of our studio’s DNA, and it’s where I began my own career,” Guerrilla game director Arjan Bak concludes. “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. I hope the coming months give you a sense of the scale and complexity of what we’ve been building – or better yet, let you experience it yourself in a playtest.”
We’ve seen a lot of gamers point out that it looks a lot like Dauntless, at least in terms of its art style and overall gameplay, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though whether you really wanted another live service game is another story.
