Horizon Hunters Gathering Announced for PS5 & PC

Guerrilla Games announced today their new Horizon game, titled Horizon Hunters Gathering. It is quite something different for the franchise at this time; players can team up in threes, fighting machines together. Available for PS5 and PC, it mixes tactical combat that fans know from Horizon with a heavier focus on working as a team.

Horizon Hunters Gathering Announced

The concept of cooperative hunting dates back several years within Guerrilla, and they needed a solution whereby players could plan, attack, and survive together against intelligent machines. Learning from previous multiplayer experiences with Killzone and Horizon Zero Dawn's worldbuilding, they did several internal playtests before this instance, where the first actual moment existed, where combat, story, and design united as something that could actually be a game.

Hunters and Tactical Combat

In the Horizon Hunters Gathering game, combat should be reactive and skill-based. It has Hunters of your choice that carry different melee and ranged combat equipment. Additionally, there are rogue-lite perk options that allow you to shape your playstyle.

There are two types of gameplay scenarios that have been showcased till now. Machine Incursion has hordes of machines coming at you, culminating in a final boss battle, while Cauldron Descent is a series of stages, rooms, and encounters that are unpredictable, not just in terms of enemy encounters but also in terms of rooms and puzzles. Guerrilla states that these are part of the initial closed playtest for both PS5 and PC Gamers.

Story and Horizon Canon

The hunter is not an empty shell and has motivations and histories, with the story integrating nicely with the Horizon canon. The environments are all for the purpose of exploration and strategy, ranging from snow-lined canyons to jungled ruins. Hidden rooms or advantages can be discovered for the player with good observation. Every location seems designed to challenge teams in different ways, requiring coordination in combat and the use of abilities.

Just like other games offering fresh content, updates like Arknights Endfield Zeroth Directive Update Adds a Free 6-Star Operator show how developers keep players engaged with high-value rewards.

Social Hub and Progression

After finishing their mission, the players return to Hunters’ Gathering. This is where they have the chance to personalize their Hunters, prepare for the next hunt, and also socialize. This hub is important as it allows the players time to socialize; therefore, much attention is paid to team promotion. It also supports cross-play between the PS5 and the PC versions. In addition, gamers are given an opportunity to save their data, provided they are using their PlayStation account.

Playtests and Community

The first closed playtest of the small scale will happen at the end of February, and players can sign up via the PlayStation Beta Program. Guerrilla also opened a Discord server for news, updates, and discussions by players. The feedback of these early testers will mold the game, so it is meant to be a real hands-on thing and not just watching trailers.

The Horizon Hunters Gathering Announced is a bold step by Guerrilla, as it is the popular Horizon series, but now involves team play. This has a definite potential, as it could be a more ambitious multiplayer experience due to its tactical gameplay, mission replayability, and evolving narratives. Guerrilla, therefore, demonstrates a thoughtful, passionate, and not-just-trying-to-create-another-Horizon-game mentality by taking this route, which, for those fond of team play but with a desire for a Horizon experience, can be highly exciting. The upcoming ARC Raiders The Shrouded Sky Content Update is expected to further enhance this experience with new social features and progression elements.