This week has just been filled with news of canceled live service games. Though the genre was considered a gold mine a few years ago, there have been more misses than hits.
We had news of a canceled God of War game and Last of Us multiplayer, and one other Sony franchise was supposed to get the treatment before it got the axe.
Horizon Zero Dawn MMORPG Cancelled?
According to the South Korean site MTN News (via VGC), game publisher NCSoft has canceled multiple games being developed in three studios. One such project, dubbed H, was said to have been an MMORPG based on the world of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn franchise.
Though there aren’t any specifics on H when the cancellation was announced, VGC suspects this could be the Horizon game since NCSoft announced their deal with Sony to develop some titles back in 2023.
It’s said that the devs attached to the project have left NCSoft, and other developers have been shuffled around to work on other games that haven’t been given the can.
Horizon is Primed for a Multiplayer
Though the Horizon franchise may focus on Aloy's story, the post-apocalyptic world filled with machines and lore was the perfect setting for a massively sprawling game. No details have been released on what the devs were working on, but fans can easily envision a game where players could create their own tribes, explore a shared world, and fight all kinds of mechanical monsters.
The concept would have been perfect, but seeing that the live service genre has been seeing a decline with titles like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League losing millions, Sony may have just decided to pull the plug before they keep spending any more money on what might be a dud when it releases.
What’s On the Horizon
Though the multiplayer game may not be moving forward (for now), multiple plans are in place for the Horizon franchise. Earlier this month, it was announced that a Horizon movie adaptation was being worked on at Colombia Pictures and PlayStation Production.
No details have been released, but given the quality of titles like The Last of Us and Fallout, the Horizon movie could be a new entry point into the franchise that attracts more fans.
Though a series adaptation has proven ideal for video game stories, Horizon needs the spectacle of a big movie budget to immerse audiences. If anything, the story could probably be simplified into a two-hour movie. Even Sonic the Hedgehog managed to captivate audiences in three movies.
As far as games go, it does seem like Guerrilla is still reeling after the underperformance of Forbidden West, but maybe they’ll be ready to reveal the next Horizon entry in a few years.
The Horizon games are currently available for PlayStation and PC.