Horizon Hunters Gathering Abandons Live-Service Model After Poor Reception

Guerrilla Games is making significant changes to *Horizon Hunters Gathering* after its live-service model failed to impress players during public tests. Originally announced in early 2026, the game combined the *Horizon* universe with a 'game as a service' (GaaS) approach, but feedback from both its presentation and beta tests in February-March 2026 led to a major redesign. According to sources cited by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the studio has been working on these changes since June 2026.

The new direction removes all GaaS elements, shifting the game toward a more traditional cooperative multiplayer experience with a story mode. The project’s scope has also been reduced, though it remains on a tight deadline-PlayStation executives will evaluate its progress in December, and failure to meet expectations could lead to cancellation.

Many developers working on *Horizon Hunters Gathering* have already been reassigned to another project, which also faces a December review. PlayStation declined to comment on the changes.

## PlayStation’s Struggling Live-Service Strategy

PlayStation has invested heavily in live-service games, hoping to create a revenue powerhouse like *Fortnite*. However, most of its GaaS projects have either failed or been canceled due to poor reception. While *Helldivers 2* has been a rare success, the company’s broader strategy remains troubled.

In 2022, Sony announced it had **12 live-service games in development**, a move that alarmed many PlayStation fans who prefer single-player experiences. By 2026, most of those projects have been abandoned:

| **Project** | **Status** | |-------------|------------| | *Concord* | Failed, Firewalk Studios closed | | *God of War* GaaS | Canceled, Bluepoint closed | | *The Last of Us Online* | Canceled | | *Spider-Man* multiplayer | Canceled | | *Bend Studio* GaaS | Canceled | | *Twisted Metal* multiplayer | Canceled | | *London Studio* co-op | Canceled, studio closed | | *Deviation Games* multiplayer | Canceled, studio closed | | *Payback* (Bungie’s *Destiny* spin-off) | Canceled |

Only two projects remain officially in development:

| **Project** | **Status** | |-------------|------------| | *Horizon Hunters Gathering* | Redesigned, December deadline | | *Fairgames* | Still in development |

Despite these setbacks, PlayStation remains committed to live-service games. Hideaki Nishino, president of PlayStation, reaffirmed this stance in June:

> "We believe live-service games attract users globally, so we’ll continue revitalizing the market with both first- and third-party titles."

However, *Horizon Hunters Gathering*’s struggles cast doubt on this strategy. The game’s fate will be decided in December, but its redesign suggests PlayStation may finally be rethinking its approach to live-service titles.