A Horizon MMORPG has been officially revealed, but not everyone is happy with the details of what's been announced. Rumors of a multiplayer Horizon game have circulated the industry for over half a decade, with Guerrilla Games itself hinting towards its existence in a 2020 job listing that asked for experience creating multiplayer open world games.
But this newly announced MMORPG may not be the live-service Horizon game Guerrilla has reportedly been working on. Instead, this Horizon MMORPG seems to be an entirely different project being developed by a completely different studio, and being made with a different audience in mind.
Horizon Steel Frontiers Is an MMORPG Not Releasing on PlayStation 5
On November 13, during Korea's G-Star 2025 game conference, developer NCSoft revealed Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMORPG set in the Horizon universe being made in collaboration with Guerrilla Games. This Horizon MMORPG will see players take on the role of a machine hunter located deep in the Deadlands. Alongside a server full of real-world allies and rivals, players will take on giant machines in Monster Hunter-like raid boss fights, craft and customize their gear, and ride a variety of machines to explore the hidden secrets of the Deadlands. Neither NCSoft, Guerrilla, nor Sony have confirmed Horizon Steel Frontiers' place in the franchise timeline, or if characters like Aloy, Erend, or Sylens will appear.
Though Horizon Steel Frontiers looks suitably impressive in its announcement trailer, it's garnered immediate controversy among Horizon fans due to its platforms of choice. Horizon Steel Frontiers will be an iOS, Android, and PC cross-platform title, with players on all platforms sharing the same world. A PlayStation 5 or 4 release has not been mentioned in the official PlayStation Blog announcement for Horizon Steel Frontiers, its developer commentary trailer, or the game's official website. Naturally, many fans have expressed their disappointment with the lack of a console launch, and it's easy to understand why given that Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West were initially PlayStation exclusives, and that the Horizon franchise as a whole is primarily known as a first-party PlayStation IP.
This is the second time in the last few days that Sony has announced a mobile-focused multiplayer spinoff of a traditionally single-player franchise, with Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble being revealed for iOS and Android on November 12. Though NCSoft has a solid track record of delivering major MMO experiences like Lineage and Guild Wars, it's only natural for some Horizon fans to be a little skeptical of the newly announced MMORPG given its shift away from the series' PlayStation and single-player roots.
- Released
- October 31, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Sequel(s)
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Franchise
- Horizon
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Adventure
Source: PlayStation Blog