Guerrilla Games Has Huge Ambitions for Horizon Multiplayer Game

Summary

• Guerrilla Games may be anticipating significant player interest for its upcoming Horizon multiplayer game.
• A recent job listing from Guerrilla suggests the studio is developing live-service systems for the Horizon multiplayer game capable of supporting over one million players.
• Guerrilla might also be taking steps to prevent server issues at launch similar to those experienced by Helldivers 2.

Guerrilla Games appears to be highly optimistic about the appeal of its upcoming Horizon multiplayer project. Although the game remains officially unannounced, recent job listings hint at Guerrilla's expectations of substantial player engagement with this live-service title.

Since the release of Horizon Forbidden West in 2022 and its Burning Shores DLC in the subsequent year, Guerrilla Games has largely been quiet, focusing on smaller projects such as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures. However, evidence suggesting the development of a Horizon multiplayer game has been accumulating for years, with job listings as early as 2018 pointing to its existence. As we approach 2025, the project seems almost certain to be in the works.

While the exact announcement date for the Horizon multiplayer project remains uncertain, a recent job posting for a Senior Platform Engineer indicates that Guerrilla is aiming for a large player base. The job requirements mention "proven experience building and operating multi service, 1M+ user globally distributed systems across multiple public cloud providers." This suggests that Guerrilla is not only expecting over one million players but is also building a robust live-service infrastructure to support them.

Guerrilla Might Be Ensuring a Trouble-Free Launch for the Horizon Multiplayer Game

On the other hand, this could be a precautionary measure by Guerrilla to ensure a smooth onboarding process for players. The launch of Helldivers 2 saw its servers overwhelmed due to unexpected popularity on PS5 and PC, causing significant issues for both new and existing players. Guerrilla may be keen to avoid similar problems with the Horizon multiplayer game. Although there's no certainty that the Horizon multiplayer game will match Helldivers 2's success, it's prudent for Guerrilla to prepare thoroughly.

Given that the Horizon multiplayer game has been in development for several years and assuming there are no major setbacks, Guerrilla might be poised to unveil the live-service title soon. A few months ago, another job listing hinted at a new Horizon game possibly launching in 2025. Considering that the next mainline Horizon game is still some time away, it's likely that the anticipated 2025 release is the Horizon multiplayer project.