Korean publisher and developer NCSoft (of Guild Wars 2 fame) has unveiled Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMORPG set in Guerrilla Games’ Horizon universe, and it’s coming to PC and mobile devices. NCSoft is developing Horizon Steel Frontiers in collaboration with Guerrilla, which developed 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn and 2022’s Horizon Forbidden West, and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Horizon Steel Frontiers is set in a new area called the Deadlands, where specialized machine hunters roam. NCSoft says the game “builds on Horizon’s signature hunting-action gameplay while introducing advanced MMORPG systems, featuring deeply customizable combat and extensive player freedom.”
In this Horizon game, you won’t be playing as Aloy – instead, you will create your own machine hunter with deep customization options inspired by tribes and factions from the single-player games, according to NCSoft.
Though the game will be playable on PC, Guerrilla studio and art director Jan-Bart Van Beek says in the game’s announcement video that Horizon Steel Frontiers has been built specifically for mobile, meaning this likely isn’t the same rumored live-service multiplayer Horizon project Guerrilla is reportedly working on.
“Players take on the role of machine hunters chasing opportunity in a region called the Deadlands,” Van Beek says. “This is inspired by Arizona and New Mexico. You’re sharing the frontier with thousands of other players, sometimes working together to take down machines, and other times competing with rival tribes – or fighting over resources – and that mix of cooperation and competition creates moments that you could never script.”
Van Beek says that at the heart of the Horizon story is the search for balance between humanity, nature, and technology, and that sometimes it’s harmony and sometimes conflict, but it always creates a world of mystery and beauty.
Horizon Steel Frontiers executive producer Sung-Gu Lee says the game’s core concept can be summed up in one phrase: “the thrill of taking down colossal machines.”
“Our main focus is designing a new combat experience tailored for an MMORPG,” Lee says. “In Horizon Steel Frontiers, we’ve added unique original gameplay elements to the process of taking down giant machines. For example, after destroying a specific part of a machine, you can quickly approach and climb onto it using the pullcaster and set traps on the damaged part and inflict status effects.”
Lee says you can even pick up weapons knocked off of machines and carry them on your mount to use in subsequent fights. He continues, adding, “At the heart of giant machine hunts are two core values: cooperation and strategy.”
“Players must take on their roles, act strategically, and work together seamlessly,” Lee says.”These combat mechanics truly shine in large-scale battles, offering the scale and dynamism that only an MMORPG can provide.”
Here’s a look at gameplay from Horizon Steel Frontiers:
NCSoft did not reveal a release date or whether Horizon Steel Frontiers is paid or free-to-play, but it will be playable on PC and mobile devices when it launches in the future.
In the meantime, read Game Informer’s reviews of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.
Are you interested in playing Horizon Steel Frontiers? Let us know in the comments below!
