Horizon Forbidden West studio working on online multiplayer game

Guerrilla Games, makers of the Horizon series of open-world, post-apocalyptic adventures for PlayStation, is working on a “separate Online Project” set in that series’ universe, the studio said in a tweet Friday morning.

Guerrilla shared the news in an open call for designers to apply for the studio’s “Single-Player (SP), Online Project (OP), and External Project (EP) teams.” The studio needs three dozen developers for those three teams, including lead designers for combat, systems, and quests, plus a narrative designer and principal writer, for the Horizon online project.

Polygon has reached out to a Sony Interactive Entertainment representative for additional clarification on Guerrilla’s plans for the franchise.

In November, a Korean financial news site reported that NCSoft and Sony (which owns Amsterdam-based Guerrilla Games) had reached an agreement to develop an MMO set within the Horizon canon — which could be the “external project” referenced in Friday morning’s tweet.

While SIE has yet to confirm this, PlayStation enthusiasts have closely followed the latest multiplayer developments for titles from first-party developers like Ghost of Tsushima and a stand-alone, multiplayer version of 2020’s Part 2 of The Last of UsHorizon could be expected to receive the same treatment.

The online project Guerrilla is pursuing will feature “a new cast of characters and a unique stylized look,” the studio said in its tweet. “Friends will be able to explore the majestic wilds of Horizon together.”

Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero DawnThis was released for PlayStation 4 (and PlayStation 5) in February. An expansion, Burning Shores, was announced at last week’s The Game Awards and PS5 will be the first to release it. Horizon’s only confirmed title is Horizon Call of the Mountain PlayStation VR2’s launch title, “The Gamer”, goes on sale February 22,