So Guerrilla has heroically stepped forward to reassure everyone that the Horizon franchise is not being turned into a mobile-gacha wasteland. They want you to know they’re “actively working on more ways” to bring Horizon content to players — which is corporate-speak for, “Please don’t riot; there will be an actual videogame again eventually.”
Meanwhile, NCSoft lovingly unveils Horizon Steel Frontiers, the prestigious, long-awaited MMO… and then announces it’s skipping the PS5, the very console whose fans built the franchise. Perfect move. Brilliant. Nothing says “we value you” like telling your core audience, “Eh, we’ll get back to you if we feel like it.”
And why skip PS5?
Because the game is “built for mobile first.”
Of course it is.
Nothing better captures the majestic vistas of Horizon’s robot-dino apocalypse than a F2P stamina meter and a UI that looks like a car dashboard.
But don’t worry! Guerrilla is also working on another online Horizon game that isn’t the MMO, because apparently the franchise is now a buffet where they throw different flavors at the wall and pray one of them becomes a Fortnite.
And yes, they’re also working on “more Horizon games” — which probably means:
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Aloy will return eventually,
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but only after Sony finishes turning the IP into a grocery store brand that appears on every platform except e-ink readers.
This is all part of Sony’s legendary plan to turn every single IP into a live-service revenue fountain. Except this one doesn’t even bother pretending: it’s a mobile MMO with an art style vaguely reminiscent of Horizon so they can slap the logo on top and call it canon.
Meanwhile, console fans are staring at their PS5’s SSD speeds, wondering if they accidentally bought the wrong machine.
The Strategy (aka: “The Spreadsheet Said It’s Fine”)
Horizon is now officially in its Pokémon era:
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one game for the hardcore,
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one game for the mobile whales,
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one multiplayer game for… whoever that’s for,
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and undoubtedly five more projects “in early development” whose existence will be teased 14 times before cancellation.
The MMO will, of course:
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introduce season passes,
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“emotionally resonant” lootboxes,
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and a battle pass so long you might finish it just in time to see the servers shut down.
But it’s fine, because Guerrilla promises you’ll still have a real Horizon game at some point.
You just need to sift through the mobile monetization minefield first.
The Risks (aka: “Please Clap”)
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Brand Dilution
At this point, Horizon has more sub-projects than actual memorable characters. -
Player Confusion
“Wait, this is the MMO? No, that’s the other multiplayer one? So what’s this announcement? Oh, that’s Aloy skin DLC for the MMO but not for the console game.” -
Fan Backlash
Already happening. You can hear the rumbling from the PS5 subreddits. -
Live-Service Fatigue
Yes, nothing excites players quite like yet another mandatory login bonus. -
Launching a Mobile MMO in 2025
Brave. Daring. Bold. Delusional.
The Opportunities (aka: “More Places to Sell Cosmetics”)
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Pump the Horizon brand into regions where mobile MMOs print money faster than central banks.
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Turn machine hunting into a battle-pass-ready team sport where ten players shoot at a robot deer until it drops 3 crafting mats and 1 sad microtransaction offer.
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Cross-promote between platforms so you can buy cosmetics in one game to not use them in the other.
Final Take
Sony and Guerrilla have officially entered the “multi-project IP expansion” phase, which is corporate talk for:
“We want the Horizon franchise to make money 24/7 whether you’re at home with your PS5, stuck in transit with your phone, or unconsciously auto-logging in out of obligation.”
And yes, someday, there will probably be a proper Horizon sequel again — but only after the franchise’s soul has been thoroughly monetized across five platforms, three genres, and at least two apology blog posts.
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