Horizon Hunters Gathering is a new co-op action adventure currently in development from Guerrilla that takes place in the Horizon universe.
Set to come to PC and PS5, the new game was announced back in February, with the studio holding its first playtest that same month. Now, a second blog post has given us yet more insight into the experience, with confirmation that a second closed playtest will be held later this month on May 22.
As a series that's known for bringing us single-player open world RPGs with Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, Hunters Gathering is taking the post-apocalyptic setting in a new direction, one that promises to encourage teamwork as a group of heroic hunters who take on the dinosaur-like machines who roam the lands. With a new art style, an appearance from Aloy, and more details about the locations, modes, and gameplay it promises, read on below to learn more about Horizon Hunters Gathering.
Horizon Hunters Gathering release date is still to be determined
Horizon Hunters Gathering doesn't yet have a release date or even a release date window.
As Bak stated in the debut trailer, "it's still early days" for the game, but we can expect to get further development announcements in the coming months. Playtests are also expected to take place in the future, and the team have created a dedicated Discord channel and social platforms @PlayHorizonHG that you can follow for further updates.
We may get some new updates on a release during the upcoming State of Play showcase, so stay tuned for details!
Horizon Hunters Gathering platforms
Horizon Hunters Gathering is coming to PC and PS5.
Guerrilla confirmed it will be among the upcoming PS5 games, making it a PS5 exclusive on console. Excitingly, though, it will support cross-play and, as the official PlayStation blog post details from Bak, cross-progression will also be included when you're logged into your PlayStation account.
Horizon Hunters Gathering trailer
Horizon Hunters Gathering gameplay
As detailed in the above trailer and the official blog post, Horizon Hunters Gathering will see you choose from a lineup of different hunters who all have their own unique skills. From soldiers "who hold the line", to tanky looking mercenaries, stealthy infiltrators, and tough champions, they're all described as "upstarts whose stories are just beginning".
Up to three players can team up to try and protect the world, which is under threat from the deadly machines that roam the lands in Horizon. While you'll need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play on PS5, you can also play solo with two NPCs helping you fight.
As we explore in our Horizon Forbidden West review, combat in the single-player RPG developed quite a lot, and it sounds like the fighting in Hunters Gathering is going to be more tactical and reactive, with "deeply skill-based" combat to "build on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play."
With a rogue-lite perk system at play, you're also able to tailor your build to suit your own preferred playstyle or team set-up, and each Hunter's class can be switched out to your liking. With different challenging and replayable hunts to get stuck into and powerups to play around with, there's also even a hub-like space where you can hang out with your pals. Known as Hunters Gathering, you can upgrade your gear here and customize a campsite, too.
Two modes have been revealed so far, including Machine Incursion that see you take on waves of machines that are ultimately led by a big boss. Cauldron Descent, on the other hand, brings you into a dungeon-like environment that's said to be a "longer, multi-stage trail" where ever-changing rooms will test your teamwork, and hidden doors hide powerful rewards.
Horizon Hunters Gathering story
While it is a co-op action game, Horizon Hunters Gathering is said to part of the canon of the Horizon universe, and all the playable Hunters will have their own personal struggles and motivations, with new stories that the team are setting out to tell through the experience.
As Bak details in the blog post, "the game has a narrative campaign which will introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats, but we're keeping it under wraps for now."
While we still don't yet know any story details, a later PS blog post in May 2026 detailed that Horizon Hunters Gathering will feature Episodes that are said to "play a central role in the game's narrative campaign".
Horizon Hunters Gathering setting
Horizon Hunters Gathering will take place across various environments within the Horizon universe, and you'll venture to different places as you take on the machines of the wild. Each location is said to feature "its own atmosphere, challenges, and opportunities for your team to explore and master".
Guerrilla has so far revealed that we'll have access to Devil's Thirst, a site that appeared in Horizon Zero Dawn, as well as a central social space known as the Gathering where you meet other players and customize your loadout. Horizon Hunters Gathering will also introduce a new region in Breakers' Bounty, which is made up of jungles, ruins, and a desert that's said to be home to dangerous machines.
Horizon Hunters Gathering characters
While we seen teases of some familiar faces including Aloy in the initial reveal, Guerrilla shed some light on the playable characters known as Hunters who have been brought to life for the co-op experience.
So far we know of Rem, Sun, and Axle who appeared in the first playtest. As part of the second playtest, two more playable Hunters will enter the fray, with Ensa, a "charismatic Oseram smuggler with a mercenary past" and Shadow, a "Carja covert" who has a Stalker machine sidekick.
Horizon Hunters Gathering playtests
After holding "a small-scale closed playtest" at the end of February 2026, Guerilla is doing another round of playtesting between May 22 - May 25, 2026.
The team is said to have implemented a lot of play feedback from the first playtest, which will be highlighted at a later stage. You can currently sign up for the Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest if you're interested in testing out the game in these early stages of development.
"On a personal note, this is both an exciting and daunting step for us," says Bak. "Multiplayer games have always been part of our studio's DNA, and it’s where I began my own career. Bringing a co-op hunting experience into the Horizon universe is something we’ve envisioned for a long time, and we’re approaching it with care, ambition, and passion. I hope the coming months give you a sense of the scale and complexity of what we’ve been building – or better yet, let you experience it yourself in a playtest."
Need something to play while you wait for Horizon Hunters Gathering? Check out our pick of the best PS5 games or best co-op games around right now.
