Horizon was always thought about as a multiplayer game, says studio director, which speaks volumes about modern day Sony

I think Horizon: Zero Dawn was a much bigger turning point for Sony than most people actually realize. The argument in favor of the PlayStation used to be its exclusives, such popular games as Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, LittleBigPlanet, the list goes on, but you get the idea. On PS5, completely original third-party games seem to be few and far between, as Sony has joined in with all the IP-first learning that every other company has joined. So when Guerilla Games studio director Jan-Bart van Beek says that the Horizon series was always intended to be a multiplayer game, it feels like the final piece of the puzzle has been inserted.

Here's what van Beek said specifically, referring to the just-announced MMO Horizon: Steel Borders: “From the very first moment we imagined Horizon, we always thought of it as a multiplayer game. LEGO Horizon Adventures was our first small step, and with Steel Frontiers we're taking a bigger step. There's a lot more to come and we're excited to show you what's to come.”

I apologize for being stingy about this, but of course it was always on the mind! Well, assuming it's true in every way. I think a lot of people who worked on the original don't feel that way. However, this view from senior management makes sense. Ultimately, the goal isn't to make something fresh, but to keep you playing, and presumably paying, longer.

Sony is constantly thinking about the live service, and it's clear that Guerilla cares about multiplayer. Clearing up some confusion, industry insider Jason Schreier joins Bluesky to say that the rumors about Horizon Steel Frontiers MMO, developer NCSoft, are not that great – and leaked – Horizon multiplayer game. This project is still in development at Guerilla and looks to be their next big project.

But it's from this reality, where Horizon was presumably always intended to be a multiplayer experience, that my feelings about the original being a turning point emerged. The mobile-only multiplayer shooter Ratchet and Clank was released. just announced this weekfor goodness sake. As much of a farce as Sony's game was, at least it offered something new every now and then. Ah, well, at least we have a shrimp game.