Expect an improved Horizon Hunters Gathering and new content in the next playtest.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is set to run its next closed playtest from 22 to 25 May, following the conclusion of its previous test phase in February. The upcoming session is expected to introduce a range of new content, including additional hunters, a fresh location, and a brand-new episode, alongside widespread improvements.
Check out the new test's teaser trailer below:
For those unfamiliar, Horizon Hunters Gathering is a co-operative, mission-based live-service game developed by Guerrilla Games, set to be published by Sony for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. The game is set within the same universe as Horizon Zero Dawn, featuring a post-apocalyptic world that blends primitive lifestyles with futuristic technology.
The next round of playtesting is open for registration via the PlayStation Beta Program. Further details–including when invitations will be sent out–are expected to be shared in the coming weeks.
According to the PlayStation Blog, the testing pool will remain relatively small for now, as Guerrilla focuses on refining the experience based on targeted player feedback–so not all applicants will be selected.
What new content is being added in the next Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest
Developers have also revealed several additions coming with the upcoming test, as they expand their roster of characters and other content.
Players will be able to try two new hunters: Ensa, described as “a charismatic Oseram smuggler with a mercenary past” and the mysterious Shadow, “a Carja covert operative who commands a fearsome Stalker machine”.
They will join the existing roster–Rem, Sun, and Axle–all of whom have been improved since the previous playtest.
Testers will also gain access to a brand-new playable episode, where they will venture into the wilds to save Ashwater Valley from a horde of machines.
A new region, Breakers’ Bounty, will also be introduced. This area features a lush jungle and ruined structures bordering a scorching desert. On this map, players’ objectives is to aid the Oseram and repel a machine incursion.
In terms of gameplay, both core modes are receiving updates with added difficulties:
- Machine Incursion: a wave-based mode where players battle machines emerging from underground gateways before facing a final boss. New Hard and Merciless difficulty settings will be added.
- Cauldron Descent: a dungeon-like mode focused on exploration and progression, with additional rooms included in the update.
Mixed community reactions
Despite the influx of new content, early community sentiment appears skeptical. Some fans (at least those sprawled across comment sections) remain negative about the game’s long-term potential, with some suggesting that it could struggle at launch.
“Just cancel the game before it's too late!,” one comment exclaimed underneath the closed test teaser trailer. “They really need to just cancel this and move on, avoid those headlines and the headache releasing it will cause them,” said another.
Horizon Hunters Gathering is a follow-up set in the Horizon universe, building on the success of Horizon Zero Dawn. However, it takes a very different direction. Unlike its predecessor’s single-player, story-driven RPG format, this new title is a live-service multiplayer experience focused on co-operative combat.
This shift has been seen as a risk by some, especially as several live-service games in recent years have shut down soon after launch. We will have to see how the game takes off from here.
