Yesterday’s State of Play was held without Eloy, but with an important clarification on the future title. Yes, Horizon Steel Frontiers — the same ambitious MMORPG based on the universe of Guerrilla Games — is shifting. And strongly.
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NCsoft’s MMORPG release date has shifted
At first, the project aimed for the second half of 2026. But a fresh presentation for NCsoft investors put everything in its place: the debut was postponed to the first half of 2027. The title is already on the schedule of the Korean publisher’s key projects for next year. It seems that a serious bet is being made on him — not just a tick in the plan, but one of the strategic bricks.
What’s important: the game is created internally by NCsoft, not outsourced. On a par with Aion 2 and Cinder City. This means direct control and resources. At the same time, Guerrilla Games themselves, the original creators of the world, are looking after the “horizon”, so they promise to keep the canon and quality in check.
By genre: cross-platform MMORPG for PC and mobile phones. For NCsoft, this is also an attempt to break beyond its traditional brands — the company is openly talking about genre diversity in the coming years. Horizon should become one of the flagships of transformation here.
Differences between Horizon Steel Frontiers and previous installments
Eloy has retired. In Horizon Steel Frontiers, we will finally be allowed to create our own character. There are four factions to choose from: Utaru, Nora, Tenact and Oseram — they determine the starting visual of the hunter. If in Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, Guerrilla studio rigidly tied us to the story of one particular person, then here the emphasis is on total freedom and customization.
Character customization instead of Eloy’s story
The plot has faded into the background altogether. Instead of a classic story adventure, we are waiting for a service game with an emphasis on co-op and an endless hunting loop. At the same time, the dynamics of the encounters themselves has increased significantly.
Overview of the combat system and raid mechanics
The basic DNA of the franchise is in place: we still shoot off armor and target vulnerable areas of cars. But from above, the developers screwed up the mechanics, which were sorely lacking in the numbered parts.
New Weapons and close combat in Horizon MMO
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Aggressive Pullcaster. Previously, the cat hook was only suitable for parkour and loot. Now it’s a full—fledged combat gadget: they shot off a part – they were instantly attracted to a vulnerable spot, stuck a trap and hung a status effect on the body.
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Trophies on the mounts. Heavy weapons knocked out from robots can now be thrown onto a sled to transport and use in the next fight. For some reason, Eloy hadn’t thought of such a tactical move.
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Close-quarters combat. Forget about the careful spear thrusting from the original games. The hunters were given huge two-handed swords, adding full-fledged parries and powerful counterattacks to the roster.
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Raids for 16 and 32 players. Large-scale PvE mixes against particularly dangerous machines have been confirmed. (By the way, multiplayer was planned to be implemented in the first part, but then the idea was abandoned in order to polish the single-player campaign).
Game development on Unreal Engine 5 without PS5
The technical base has undergone the most radical changes. Horizon Steel Frontiers has moved to Unreal Engine 5. The native Decima engine (the pride of Guerrilla and the hallmark of PlayStation’s internal studios) has been left out. The explanation is not difficult to understand: the Korean NCsoft is engaged in development and publishing, which required maximum flexibility for cross-platform and mobile rendering without loss of quality.
This is where the most painful news comes from for hardcore Sony fans. There will be no PS5 version at launch. Yes, Sony itself has transferred the license to its Korean partners, but PlayStation is still in the air. The authors cautiously admit that the console port will appear in the future, but no one names a specific date. Looks like we’ll have to wait.
Reasons for the delay of Horizon Steel Frontiers
The delay, by the way, did not surprise anyone. NCsoft has a hell of a calendar in 2026: Line Zero Breakers, Cinder City, Time Takers, spin-offs, global expansion of Aion 2. Only when this avalanche subsides will Steel Frontiers get their hands on it.
Fans should be patient. On the other hand, the extra months of development are beneficial. Especially when you remember how difficult it is to combine the world of Horizon with MMO mechanics on two platforms at once. It’s better to finish it than to let it out raw.
