Guerrilla Games Aims Big for Horizon Multiplayer

Summary

• Guerrilla Games may be anticipating significant player interest in its upcoming Horizon multiplayer game.
• A recent job listing from Guerrilla hints at the studio developing live-service systems for the Horizon multiplayer game capable of supporting over one million players.
• Additionally, Guerrilla could be taking steps to prevent server issues at the game's launch, similar to those experienced by Helldivers 2.

Guerrilla Games appears to have high expectations for its upcoming Horizon multiplayer project. Although the game has not been officially revealed, recent job listings suggest that Guerrilla is preparing for substantial player engagement with this live-service title.

Since the release of Horizon Forbidden West in 2022 and its Burning Shores DLC in the following year, Guerrilla has been relatively quiet, focusing mainly on smaller projects such as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures. However, evidence of a Horizon multiplayer game has been mounting since as early as 2018, with various job listings hinting at its development. As we approach 2025, the existence of this multiplayer project seems almost certain.

A recent job listing for a Senior Platform Engineer at Guerrilla has sparked interest, as it mentions the need for "proven experience building and operating multi service, 1M+ user globally distributed systems across multiple public cloud providers." This suggests that Guerrilla is not only expecting over one million players for the Horizon multiplayer game but is also building a robust live-service infrastructure to support such a large player base.

On the other hand, this ambitious target could also be a precautionary measure to ensure a smooth launch for the Horizon multiplayer game. The overwhelming server issues faced by Helldivers 2 upon its release on PS5 and PC serve as a cautionary tale. Guerrilla might be keen to avoid similar problems and ensure a trouble-free onboarding experience for players. While there's no certainty that the Horizon multiplayer game will achieve the same level of success as Helldivers 2, Guerrilla's preparations demonstrate a commitment to readiness.

Given that the Horizon multiplayer game has been in development for several years, and assuming no major setbacks, Guerrilla might be poised to unveil the live-service title soon. A job listing from a few months ago hinted at a new Horizon game release in 2025. With the third mainline Horizon entry still some time away, it's likely that the anticipated 2025 game is the Horizon multiplayer project.