Guerrilla Games is currently preparing to expand the world established in its popular action-adventure franchise, Horizon. Players will get to enjoy new online adventures, all within the familiar universe most recently seen in Horizon Forbidden West.
The Horizon franchise dates back to 2017, when Horizon Zero Dawn released on PlayStation 4. Developed by Guerrilla Games, the game followed the brave Aloy, a young woman living in a future populated by lethal machines that resemble familiar creatures such as dinosaurs. An expansion known as The Frozen Wilds arrived later in 2017, and sequel Horizon Forbidden West hit the PS4 and PS5 earlier this year.
Guerrilla's future plans for the Horizon franchise include multiple projects, according to a new employee drive the company shared on Twitter. The company indicated it has a new internal team in Amsterdam developing "a separate Online Project set in Horizon's universe" that will include a new cast of characters and "a unique stylized look." The listing's reference to single-player content likely refers to the Horizon Forbidden West DLC that will explore post-apocalyptic Hollywood in 2023.
Sony is betting big on the Horizon franchise as it plans software for the PlayStation 5 and related hardware. It recently confirmed that the Burning Shores DLC will skip the PS4 version of Horizon Forbidden West, and it also is prepping Horizon Call of the Mountain to serve as a launch title for PlayStation VR2. Even though Horizon Forbidden West ultimately failed to win any awards at The Game Awards, it was nominated in seven categories and enjoys a high profile that is likely to persist in 2023 and beyond.
Details are understandably scarce when it comes to the structure an online-focused Horizon might implement, though one possibility is that an online Horizon could borrow elements from Death Stranding. Then again, Guerrilla might well decide to let players raid the wilds together in the online title, but consider implementing asynchronous online in an all-but-inevitable third installment in the IP's flagship series. The possibilities are virtually endless, and if past performance is any indication, Horizon fans will be ready and waiting for whatever Sony and its teams at Guerrilla Games reveal as the next steps for the increasingly popular series.