An MMO based on Horizon Forbidden West and its predecessor, Horizon Zero Dawn, is potentially in development, and this prospective spin-off could allow one feature, with which the single-player games struggle, to shine. Though reports in early 2025 alleged that NCSoft had stopped working on its online spin-off of the Guerrilla Games series, there is still hope for Horizon's MMO under the codename "Project Skyline." If it is true that the game is still being developed, then the Horizon MMO still has a chance to succeed in one particular area where Zero Dawn and its sequel seemed to fall short.
Combat plays a fundamental role in the Horizon series, and both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West featured large arsenals that suited different playstyles, from ranged weapons to traps and tripwires. However, one feature that seemed to be overlooked in both games was melee combat, as players were given virtually no options beyond a spear for close-quarters combat. While Guerrilla Games had a reasonable explanation for this decision, NCSoft's Horizon MMO has the opportunity to offer players just as much variety with melee combat as the series has done with its other weapons.
Horizon: Forbidden West’s Base Feels Like a Stepping Stone to a Key MMO Feature
Guerrilla Games should consider expanding upon the Base concept, first introduced in 2022's Horizon Forbidden West, for future Horizon games.
Horizon MMO's Melee Should Push The Envelope After Zero Dawn And Forbidden West
Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West Were Locked In With Aloy's Spear
Aloy's ability to override machines was an integral mechanic established early on in Zero Dawn, and it is connected directly to her spear. More specifically, it is during Zero Dawn's story that players are shown how Aloy gains this ability after she salvages a Corruptor's override device and attaches it to the end of her spear. As a result, while other characters are seen using different weapons, both Zero Dawn and its sequel, which improved the override ability with the addition of things like flying mounts, might have struggled to extend the mechanic to other melee weapons beyond Aloy's spear.
Improving Horizon's Melee Combat Is Long Overdue After Forbidden West
Despite efforts to expand combat for Zero Dawn's sequel, the series' melee combat, arguably, continues to fall short, with the likes of Forbidden West's Melee Pits emphasizing this issue. Dedicating a mini-game exclusively to melee combat in Forbidden West has drawn attention to an area where the series struggles overall, and Horizon's gameplay appears to favor stealth and ranged combat over direct melee confrontations. While a potential Horizon 3 might not be able to address this issue if Aloy returns as its protagonist, NCSoft's MMO spin-off could come to the rescue and finally overhaul Horizon's melee combat.
A Horizon MMO Has The Perfect Opportunity To Improve Melee Combat
Provided that Horizon follows the same formula set by other MMO games, then the opportunity to break from a set protagonist and allow players to create their own characters would be ideal for introducing a new and improved melee combat system. Using Forbidden West's combat as a rough guide, a Horizon MMO could cater to a range of different gameplay styles, such as heavy, slower weapons that can hit hard or lighter weapons that might attack faster but deal less damage. Based on characters seen in both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, an MMO spin-off could introduce weapons like those listed below.
- Warhammers as used by Erend.
- Swords as used by Nil, Regalla, and Seyka.
- Daggers as used by Alva.
- Sickles as used by Zo.
- Shields like the Shieldwing before Aloy salvaged it.
Though an MMO would need to ensure that overhauling Horizon's melee does not diminish its ranged and stealth gameplay, NCSoft has the chance to help Horizon evolve in ways Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, and potentially even the next game in the series aren't able to. A Horizon MMO could be exactly what's needed to make the most out of the series' combat system, while also opening the door for future Horizon games to do the same. After all, should the series continue beyond Aloy's suspected trilogy, the subsequent Horizon game could benefit from giving more melee weapons to an all-new protagonist.
