Ethan Crossfield 
PlayStation is reportedly reworking Horizon Hunters Gathering after negative feedback from private playtests, potentially moving Guerrilla Games’ spin-off away from its original live-service direction. Bloomberg reports that the project could become a smaller cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode, although it has not been cancelled.
What happened to Horizon Hunters Gathering?
According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, anonymous sources familiar with the project say poor feedback during testing earlier this year prompted Guerrilla to reassess the game’s design. The reported plan is to remove the live-service component, reduce the overall scope, and focus instead on traditional cooperative play supported by a story mode.
The change would represent a significant shift from the project’s initial identity. Hunters Gathering was announced as a Horizon spin-off, but its genre and visual style differed sharply from Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Those differences had already produced a mixed reaction from fans before the public had an opportunity to play it.
The project remains active for now. Schreier’s sources claim the development team has until December to deliver a milestone that satisfies PlayStation executives. A substantial number of developers have reportedly been moved to another project, with their future involvement expected to be reviewed at the end of the year. PlayStation has not confirmed the report and declined to comment.
Why the reported change matters
Hunters Gathering is arriving against a difficult backdrop for PlayStation’s push into live-service games. The company has spent much of the 2020s trying to broaden its portfolio beyond its established single-player releases, but several multiplayer projects have been cancelled before formal reveals. The Last of Us, God of War, and Spider-Man multiplayer efforts all reportedly ended during development, while Concord was shut down less than a week after launch.
Against that history, converting Hunters Gathering into a smaller cooperative experience could be an attempt to preserve the Horizon project without forcing it to compete as a long-term service game. That would also reduce the pressure associated with regular content delivery and player retention, though the reported restructuring suggests the team still has to prove the revised concept internally.
The consequences extend to the wider Horizon series. Bloomberg reports that most of the Forbidden West team is working on Hunters Gathering, leaving only a small group to plan the next single-player Horizon game. That follow-up is reportedly still years from completion, meaning the overhaul may affect how soon fans can return to Aloy’s mainline story.
What to watch next
The most important near-term question is whether the revised version can pass its December milestone. Until PlayStation makes an official announcement, the game’s final structure, release plans, and even continued development remain uncertain.
Fans should also watch for clarification about how much of the original project survives. A cooperative story game could retain Horizon’s worldbuilding while abandoning the systems and scope that initially defined Hunters Gathering. It is not yet clear whether the reported rework will eventually be shown publicly or whether the project will face the same fate as other PlayStation multiplayer efforts.
Key takeaways
- Bloomberg reports that poor private playtest feedback triggered a major redesign.
- The reported target is a smaller cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode.
- Hunters Gathering has not been confirmed as cancelled.
- The team reportedly faces an executive milestone by December.
- The next mainline single-player Horizon game is reportedly years away.
Expert View
A cooperative Horizon game may be a better fit for the franchise than an aggressive live-service model, but this report exposes a larger strategic cost. PlayStation’s online ambitions are now competing directly with the single-player pipeline that made its studios successful. If most of Guerrilla’s Forbidden West team remains tied to a troubled project, the risk is not only another multiplayer setback; it is a longer wait for the series’ strongest and most established audience.
