Retreat in Horizon Hunters Gathering brings PlayStation’s live-service plans back into focus

The direction of PlayStation’s live-service strategy is changing once again. It has been reported that the live-service elements of Horizon Hunters Gathering are being scaled back. The project has not been shelved entirely, but this revision stands out as another concrete example of Sony’s recently troubled live-service approach.

According to the reports, Guerilla Games is trying to turn the game into a more traditional online co-op experience. The result is said to be a smaller-scale structure with a story mode. The reason for this shift is weak feedback from testing.

Why is Horizon Hunters Gathering being reshaped?

Sources say the game’s playtests did not resonate well with players on the live-service side. As a result, while the project will retain its multiplayer structure, it is being moved away from subscription-based or always-on content-driven systems. In other words, the goal is not to preserve the originally planned form, but to move toward a more limited and more classic co-op game.

This kind of retreat does not seem to be just a one-off project decision. At the same time, cancellation and downsizing reports are also emerging for other Sony live-service projects. In that sense, Horizon Hunters Gathering does not appear to be an isolated case; it seems more like part of a broader shift in direction.

A key milestone also emerged during a meeting Guerilla Games held with employees on August 19. The studio reportedly told the team that it needs to impress management by the next milestone in December. That timeline pressure shows the project still isn’t completely safe.

Cancellations and reallocated teams on Sony’s side

Another notable detail alongside Horizon Hunters Gathering is that many developers working on the project are said to be moving to another unannounced game. That project will also be reviewed at the end of the year. This suggests that changes are being made not just within a single game, but also across studio planning.

The key point here is this: the project has not been canceled, but conditions have become tougher. Sony and Guerilla Games will have to prove in the short term whether they can keep the current structure intact. If expectations on the live-service side are not met, the process could narrow further.

Horizon Hunters Gathering was first announced this year and has been in testing for some time. Even so, the negative feedback suggests the game’s design foundation is not delivering as expected. Cutting back the live-service structure therefore means much more than a technical adjustment.

Where is PlayStation’s live-service approach headed?

Sony has long been trying to make room for live-service games. But recent developments show that this plan has not been progressing as smoothly as expected. The pullback in Horizon Hunters Gathering is the latest visible example of that pressure. It appears that executives and studios are now acting more cautiously.

That caution is not based on feedback from just one game. Reports also suggest that several PlayStation projects have been canceled or had their scope reduced within the same year. This points to a possible shift toward a more selective and more controlled phase in Sony’s live-service push.

In short, Horizon Hunters Gathering is no longer just a project revision. As the game’s live-service elements are rolled back, it is also clear that the broader strategy PlayStation has been trying to build in recent years is being tested.