Sony’s Horizon Hunters Gathering Reportedly Faces Major Rework After Negative Testing Feedback

Sony’s upcoming Horizon multiplayer project, Horizon Hunters Gathering, is reportedly undergoing a significant internal rethink after private testing produced negative player feedback.

The game has not been canceled, but the development team is said to be working against a December deadline to convince Sony that the project still has a viable future. If the revised direction does not meet expectations, developers could reportedly be reassigned to other projects before the end of the year.

Horizon Hunters Gathering was announced earlier in 2026 as a multiplayer entry in the Horizon series with a strong live service structure. Its original design included characters with unique abilities, roguelike style perks, and a social hub where players could customize their characters and interact with others.

Since that announcement, however, little has been shown publicly.

Horizon Hunters Gathering may move away from live service design

The biggest reported change is a possible shift away from the live service model that originally defined the project.

The development team is said to be removing or reducing some of those systems and rebuilding the game as a more traditional cooperative experience with a stronger story focus. The revised version would reportedly have a smaller scope than the original plan.

That suggests Sony and Guerrilla are not simply making minor balance changes. The project may be changing its core structure in response to testing feedback.

Private testing began around the time the game was announced in February 2026. Feedback from those sessions is reportedly one of the main reasons the team is reconsidering the design.

A smaller cooperative game could allow the developers to keep some of the multiplayer work already completed while removing systems that did not perform well with testers.

The project may have delayed the next mainline Horizon game

Another important part of the report concerns Guerrilla’s wider development priorities.

Most of the studio’s staff have reportedly spent years working on Horizon Hunters Gathering. If accurate, that would explain why the next major single player Horizon game may still be a long way from release.

The previous mainline title, Horizon Forbidden West, left several story threads open for a future continuation. Players waiting to see what happens next may therefore face a longer gap than expected.

That does not mean development on another single player Horizon game has stopped entirely, but the multiplayer project appears to have consumed a significant amount of the studio’s attention.

Sony’s live service strategy remains under pressure

The reported problems with Horizon Hunters Gathering come during a difficult period for Sony’s wider live service plans.

Several projects have already been canceled in recent years, including first party games that had been intended to support Sony’s push toward recurring multiplayer revenue. Other live service efforts have also struggled to meet internal and commercial expectations.

That broader context makes the December review of Horizon Hunters Gathering especially important. Sony has become more selective with these projects, and a major redesign suggests the company may be more willing to change direction before release rather than continue with a structure that is not testing well.

For now, Horizon Hunters Gathering remains alive. The next few months appear to be critical, with Guerrilla reportedly trying to prove that a smaller cooperative version can work better than the original live service concept.

If the revised direction succeeds, the game could still move forward in a very different form. If it does not, Sony may decide to reduce the team further or shift more developers toward other Horizon projects.