Discover the latest on the cancellation of the Horizon MMORPG project by NCSoft and what this means for the future of the franchise.
NCSoft Cancels Horizon MMORPG and Other Projects Amid Feasibility Review
On January 13, 2025, NCSoft, a leading South Korean game developer and publisher known for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMORPG series, made headlines when it canceled several projects, including the much-anticipated Horizon MMORPG. The decision came as part of a broader "feasibility review," according to a report by the South Korean news site MTN.
The Horizon MMORPG, codenamed "H," was not the only project to face the axe; another game codenamed "J" also met the same fate. Meanwhile, "Pantera" or "Raising Lineage" remains under review. The cancellation of these projects was further solidified by their removal from NCSoft’s organizational chart.
MTN also noted that developers working on the Horizon MMORPG had left NCSoft, and those remaining were reassigned to other ongoing projects within the company. As of now, neither Sony nor NCSoft have issued an official statement regarding the cancellation, leaving it unclear whether another team might pick up "Project H."
Despite this setback, fans of the Horizon series can take solace in the fact that Guerrilla Games is actively developing another multiplayer project in the Horizon universe.
Guerrilla Games Developing Horizon "Online Project" Since 2022
Guerrilla Games announced their work on a Horizon "Online Project" via a Twitter (X) post on December 16, 2022. The studio is seeking game developers to join their team in Amsterdam to work on "a separate Online Project set in Horizon’s universe," featuring "a new cast of characters and a unique stylized look."
A job listing from November 2023 for a Senior Combat Designer highlighted the need for someone to design "multiple machine enemies that provide a variety of challenges against multiple players." This suggests that the new machines could be more formidable, designed to challenge groups of players.
As of January 2025, Guerrilla Games continues to recruit for their unnamed Horizon multiplayer game. A recent job posting for a Senior Platform Engineer indicated they are building for "multi-service, 1M+ globally distributed systems across multiple public cloud providers," hinting at an ambitious scale for the project. While no official announcement has been made, it's clear that this project is being developed internally by Sony.
Sony Announced its Partnership with NCSoft
On November 28, 2023, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced a "strategic global partnership" with NCSoft, aiming to leverage NCSoft’s technological expertise and SIE’s global entertainment leadership. Jim Ryan, President and CEO of SIE, stated, "Partnering with NCSOFT advances our strategy to expand beyond console and broaden PlayStation’s reach to a wider audience."
This partnership could signal Sony's interest in expanding into online multiplayer games across various platforms, including mobile devices, despite the cancellation of the Horizon MMORPG. While the Horizon MMORPG project may not see the light of day, other Sony titles might benefit from this collaboration in the future.
