Horizon Zero Dawn was one of the juggernauts of the PlayStation 4 era. The 2017 action role-playing title sold over 10 million copies by 2019, marking it down in history as one of the best-selling titles for the console, period. Now, Horizon Forbidden West is set to become one of the PlayStation 5’s most highly-anticipated titles. This, in turn, had people talking about the game’s developer Guerrilla Games, and their legacy before Aloy‘s big adventure. Prior, the studio was known for the Killzone series, which featured plenty of multiplayer madness. With this shift to exclusively single-player titles, isn’t it time the gang got back to their roots?
In a number of recent job postings, Guerrilla is looking to fill some roles which may have more of a multiplayer focus. In particular, a position for a senior social systems designer is now up, seeking someone to build an array of engaging social features, and brainstorm unique ways for players to interact with one another. Another ad for a senior narrative systems designer is asking only for candidates with experience designing narratives for online games, as well as single-player. It’s unclear whether these positions are for the same project.
In what may be a related note, Simon Larouche, known as the director of Rainbow Six Siege, has recently returned to Guerrilla Games after a period working for Ubisoft. Given his past work on multiplayer projects, it’s not so farfetched to think something social might be on the horizon. Will it be a new IP, or will this be something Horizon-adjacent? We’ll just have to wait to find out.
Horizon Forbidden West is now scheduled to release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 22, 2022, after a delay. Those who purchase a PlayStation 4 version of the game will receive a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version, though this will be the last free upgrade for Sony exclusives going forward. After this, players can expect a $10 digital upgrade fee.