Taking place after the events of Horizon Forbidden West, Horizon Hunters Gathering is a cooperative action game that lets up to three players team up as heroic Hunters to protect a world under threat from deadly machines. Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play. 

The foundation of Horizon Hunters Gathering centers around challenging and replayable hunts. Today we’re revealing two game modes: Machine Incursion, a high-intensity mission where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss; and Cauldron Descent, a longer, multi-stage trial in which ever-changing rooms push Hunters to their limits, from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and reward for teams prepared to open them. 

In Horizon Hunters Gathering, you choose from a roster of uniquely skilled Hunters – each with distinct melee or ranged playstyles and weapons – and select Hunter roles further embedded with a rogue-lite perk system to craft the build that best suits your style and your team. 

These Hunters have their own motivations and personal struggles, which comes together in new stories we want to tell in the world of Horizon. The game has a narrative campaign which will introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats, but we’re keeping it under wraps for now.  What we can say is that Hunters Gathering is fully canon and its story doesn’t stop at launch!

As you hunt dangerous machines in the wilds, you’ll travel through a range of environments that bring missions and stories to life. Each location offers its own atmosphere, challenges, and opportunities for your team to explore and master together. 

Between missions, you’ll return to Hunters Gathering: a vibrant social hub where players can connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together. Here, you can customize your Hunters, visit vendors, upgrade gear, and team up for your next adventure.

Horizon Hunters Gathering supports cross-play between PS5 and PC, plus cross-progression when you are logged in and save your game using the same PlayStation account!

Find your calling and team up as humanity’s last line of defense against deadly machines in Horizon Hunters Gathering.

The first closed playtest for Horizon Hunters Gathering is set to run from February 27 through March 1, 2026, giving a select group of players an early look at the cooperative multiplayer spin-off set in the Horizon universe. The beta will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, but access is limited. This is an invite-only closed test, meaning players must first register through the PlayStation Beta Program (visit this page while signed into your PlayStation Network account and look for “Horizon Hunters Gathering” in available playtests to join) for a chance to be selected. Invitations are being distributed via email ahead of the event, and registration does not guarantee entry. The playtest will run during specific regional time windows across North America and Europe.

Those chosen to participate will be able to try multiple playable hunters and experience two core modes: Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent. The test build also includes a shared social space known as “The Gathering,” where players can interact and prepare between missions. Designed to stress-test systems and gather early feedback, the weekend beta marks the first public hands-on opportunity for the project and signals that development is moving into a more player-facing phase.

This is a closed playtest for PS5 & PC (Steam).

Dates & Times

• EU: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM CET

• NA: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST

• Supported language: English only

(More regions and languages will follow in future playtests.)

Here’s what to expect:

• Play as Axle, Rem, or Sun

• Try our game modes Machine Incursion (Normal & Hard) and Cauldron Descent (Normal)

• Explore Colorado Springs as the first environment

• Join the Gathering, our shared social space, to hang out with fellow Hunters or customize your campsite

If you have any questions, head to our [FAQ] for more information!

Key Features:

• SQUAD UP IN THREE-PLAYER TEAMS: Choose from a roster of uniquely skilled Hunters, each with a different playstyle and weapon, and fight in coordinated co-op with friends or alongside two NPCs against a deadly machine threat.
• HUNT LETHAL MACHINES TOGETHER: Face off against challenging and lethal machines, with a variety of attacks and elemental effects, in high-intensity missions across different environments and landscapes.
• AN ONGOING ADVENTURE: The hunt doesn't end - experience the adventure and the story of this new battle against the machines through a richly interconnected campaign.
• Uniquely skilled Hunters: Forge your legend as machine hunters, each with their own stories and struggles, and enhance your playstyle with rogue-lite perk and progression systems.

Horizon Hunters Gathering is in development for PS5 and PC (Steam).