Horizon Zero Dawn fans left disappointed by PlayStation spin-off cancellation

A Horizon Zero Dawn spin-off has been cancelled by PlayStation, leaving some fans disappointed.

The Horizon series became one of the most popular properties for Sony Interactive Entertainment following the launch of Horizon Zero Dawn on the PlayStation 4 in 2017, which starred Aloy in a very distant future with our world now ravaged by mechanical beasts.

Check out the Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered trailer below!

The success of the first game led to both a direct sequel with Horizon Forbidden West (as well as the Burning Shores expansion), as well as a remaster of HZD, and family-friendly retelling LEGO Horizon Adventures.

In our review of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, GAMINGbible’s Kate said: “You may not have thought it possible, but this version of Aloy’s world is even more beautiful, with Nixxes’ subtle attention to detail resulting in a space that feels even more immersive and brimming with life. When you can upgrade for just £10, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t.”

During early 2024, rumours were making the rounds that a Horizon MMO spin-off was in the works (which was later confirmed) but rather than being handled by series developer Guerrilla Games, this new title would instead be developed by NCSoft.

NCSoft is a South Korean-based studio and while it hasn't created a massive AAA title before the Horizon spin-off, it was responsible for several MMORPGs including the Lineage and Blade & Souls series.

Being familiar with MMORPGs is why NCSoft was selected to develop the Horizon spin-off with it also being an MMORPG, so in that respect, it seemed like a natural fit.

Unfortunately, if you were excited about the prospect of a Horizon MMORPG, then we’ve got bad news because new reports are making the rounds that the project has unceremoniously been cancelled.

The Horizon MMORPG apparently had two codenames, Project H and Project Skyline, and was intended to launch on PC, PlayStation and mobile devices. This follows recent reports that a God of War multiplayer spin-off has also been cancelled.

News of this story was shared by industry insider and reliable leaker Synth Potato on Twitter via Push Square. “The Horizon MMO that was being developed by NCSoft has reportedly just been cancelled by PlayStation,” they tweeted.

“This marks the ninth live service game that Sony has cancelled that was in development. The other Horizon multiplayer project by Guerrilla remains in development, for now.”

I suppose if there’s some good news to take from that tweet it is that there is another multiplayer Horizon game in the works by Guerrilla, though it wouldn't surprise me if that were cancelled given other recent news.

At least we still have both Horizon single-player games on PC and PlayStation to enjoy.