According to a report, the live-service feature has been removed from "Horizon Hunters Gathering" in response to unfavorable player feedback

Guerrilla Games is transforming Horizon Hunters Gathering, opting to eliminate its live-service components due to unfavorable player responses, as reported by Jason Schreier of Bloomberg.

The new direction will reimagine the game as a conventional multiplayer experience with a narrative option and a reduced scale.

The restructuring started in June, with employees being informed they must demonstrate progress by December's milestone. Developers currently on this game may be reassigned to another title, subject to review by year-end.

After completing work on Horizon Forbidden West in 2022, most of Guerrilla's team began focusing on Hunters Gathering, while a smaller group continues with a solo-player sequel that is still far from release.

Bloomberg sought comments from a PlayStation spokesperson, who declined to provide any.

Earlier this year, Guerrilla revealed Horizon Hunters Gathering, following it with a closed playtest during February and March in North America and Europe, and another in early May.

PlayStation has encountered numerous obstacles with its live-service ventures. In 2024, Concord was pulled from the market just two weeks after release, leading to the closure of its developer Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi. Moreover, live-service initiatives for franchises like God of War, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us were axed, alongside other cancelled projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. In February, Bluepoint Games was shuttered by Sony.

In 2022, Sony purchased Destiny's developer, Bungie, for $3.6 billion; however, Destiny 2's development ceased earlier this year. Their recent live-service game, Marathon, reported poor sales.

In June, Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, expressed his intention to invigorate live-service games through both first-party and third-party content.