Horizon Steel Frontiers: Trailer Breakdown, Gameplay Features, Release Date

The Horizon universe is advancing in a bold new direction with Horizon Steel Frontiers, and the very first gameplay trailer gives fans a genuine feel for what they can anticipate. In contrast to prior titles centered on single-player adventures on PlayStation, Steel Frontiers is a mobile and PC MMORPG, being developed by NCSoft and new gaming partner Guerrilla Games.

Set in a new area referred to as the Deadlands, players will experience large-scale battles, cooperative hunting of machines, and a new layer of Horizon's iconic combat.

Horizon Steel Frontiers Trailer Breakdown

The official trailer starts off by setting the tone for the new game. Players are introduced to the Deadlands, a dusky desert, inspired by Arizona and New Mexico, populated with ruins of human civilization, as well as large war machines.

Unlike previous Horizon games, in this game, combat relies more on melee than ranged combat. While players will have access to swords, twin blades, and bows, the focus is on close-range tactical engagements.

One of the most exciting features from the trailer shows the "charged blade mechanic", a defensive move that lets the player repulse attacks. Another highlight was the Pullcaster, a grappling hook that lets the player pull and climb damaged machines.

The trailer also boasts a large array of machines (i.e., the Watchers, Grazers, Tallnecks, and two new machines: the Slaughterspine and Fireclaw). Players can override many of the machines as mounts, supporting previous mounts as well, such as the Sunwing, Charger, and Bristleback (but now there's also a stealth Stalker as well). All in all, the trailer looks absolutely promising. Much like the anticipation surrounding the Rainbow Six Mobile Global Release Date, this marks another major shift as big console franchises continue to expand into the mobile space.

Horizon Steel Frontiers Gameplay Features

Horizon Steel Frontiers integrates the familiar Horizon formula into its MMORPG mechanics. Instead of playing as Aloy, players make their own custom Machine Hunters. Character creation is highly customizable, even concerning player body type (height and body-shape), hair, makeup, and tribe affiliation from the four main Horizon tribes: Nora, Tenakth, Utaru, and Oseram.

The game is purely based on teamwork as this is the only way to to take down giant machines while also competing against one another as rival tribes to acquire resources.

The combat retains Horizon’s foundation - targeting weak spots and collecting pieces of defeated machines - but expands to include larger encounters, traps, and more strategies concerning position.

However, exploration remains the core as players venture into remixed Cauldrons (dungeons) designed for coop play. Talking about coop, you can checkout Top 10 Best COOP Games on Switch.
Coming to the game, the dense world is beautifully detailed with lush foliage overtaking skyscrapers. Tribal villages blending Horizon’s post-apocalyptic aesthetic with a hint of Eastern artistic influences

Horizon Steel Frontiers Release Date

NCSoft has not yet provided a specific release date, although a release is expected sometime in 2026 or early 2027. The game will be available on PC through NCSoft's Purple platform and on Android and iOS devices.

No PlayStation 5 version is currently planned, which has led to disappointment from some fans, although Guerrilla Games is still involved with the development of the game to maintain the visual style and spirit of the Horizon series.