Horizon Hunters Gathering

 
Horizon Hunters Gathering is Guerrilla Games’ bold attempt to take the single-player mastery of the Horizon universe and translate it into a cooperative service game. Officially unveiled in February 2026 with a closed playtest scheduled for later this month, it reimagines the franchise’s combat as a 3-player tactical rogue-lite. Instead of an open world, players embark on structured missions from a central hub, blending the Monster Hunter loop with arcade-style power-ups and distinct hero characters.
Machines, Classes, and Chaos: Core Gameplay

Class-Based Hunting: Unlike Alloy’s jack-of-all-trades skillset, Hunters Gathering forces you to specialize. You choose from a roster of named “Hunters,” each filling a specific RPG role. Some are tanks designed to draw aggro with heavy shields, while others are support units that lay traps or ranged DPS specialists who target weak points from afar. Team composition is critical.
Rogue-lite Elements: This is the biggest deviation from the main series. During a hunt, you collect temporary upgrades and perks that reset after the mission. You might find a module that adds shock damage to your arrows or a buff that increases critical hit chance. This “run-based” progression adds variety to repeated encounters with the same machine types.
Structured Missions: The game ditches the open world for specific game modes. “Cauldron Descent” is a dungeon-crawler mode where teams fight through chambers of enemies mixed with platforming puzzles. “Machine Incursion” creates a horde-mode pressure cooker where you must hold back waves of machines.
The Hub World: Between runs, players regroup in a shared social space. Here, you can craft permanent gear upgrades, customize your personal campsite, and interact with vendors—functioning similarly to Monster Hunter‘s gathering hub.

How It Stacks Up
Horizon Hunters Gathering enters a crowded market of co-op shooters and hunting games.



Game
Key Difference




Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter is about preparation, slow deliberate combat, and carving specific parts for gear. Hunters Gathering is faster, arcade-like, and leans on “hero shooter” mechanics where character abilities matter as much as your weapon.


Dauntless
Both offer a streamlined, stylized take on the hunting genre. However, Hunters Gathering leverages the unique Horizon mechanic of tearing off components (guns, armor plates) to use against the enemy, adding a tactical layer Dauntless lacks.


Returnal
While both are Sony rogue-lites, Returnal is a bullet-hell shooter focused on solo skill. Hunters Gathering is slower and focuses entirely on team synergy and cooldown management.



Key Details

Developer: Guerrilla Games.
Publisher: PlayStation Publishing LLC.
Platforms: PS5, PC (Steam).
Release Date: Closed Playtest Feb 2026; Full Release TBA.
Genre: Co-op Action / Rogue-lite.
Vibe: Monster Hunter meets Overwatch.

Who It’s For

Must-play for Horizon combat fans. If your favorite part of the main games was stripping a Thunderjaw of its weapons and using them against it, this game distills that loop into its purest form without the 50-hour story.
Perfect for friend groups. The holy trinity of Tank/Healer/DPS means you can finally play a Horizon game where you can blame your friends for dying.
Skip if you want exploration. If you loved Zero Dawn for the mystery of the Old Ones and the joy of climbing mountains to see the view, this linear, arena-based structure might feel claustrophobic.

Why It Works
It works because the combat was always the best part. Horizon‘s component-based damage system is uniquely suited for co-op. One player can use a ropecaster to tie down a machine, while another tears off its tail laser, and the third creates a weak point with acid. It turns every boss fight into a collaborative puzzle that rewards communication over raw reflex.