NCSoft Scraps Planned Horizon MMORPG
News broke on January 13, 2025, via South Korean news outlet MTN, that NCSoft had cancelled several projects, including a Horizon MMORPG codenamed "H." This decision follows a company-wide "feasibility review." NCSoft, known for the Lineage and Guild Wars franchises, cited the review as the reason for halting development. Along with "Project H," another project, codenamed "J," was also reportedly cancelled, while "Project Pantera" (or "Raising Lineage") remains under evaluation.
The MTN report also indicated that key developers working on "Project H" departed NCSoft. Remaining team members have reportedly been reassigned to other company projects. The removal of "Projects H" and "J" from NCSoft's organizational chart further solidifies their cancellation.
While neither Sony nor NCSoft have issued official statements, the future of "Project H" remains uncertain. It's unclear if another publisher or development team will acquire the assets and continue development.
However, a separate Horizon online multiplayer game is still actively in development.
Guerrilla Games' Ongoing Horizon Online Project
Guerrilla Games publicly announced their "Online Project" for the Horizon franchise on December 16, 2022, via a Twitter(X) post. The post highlighted the search for developers to join their Amsterdam team, emphasizing a new cast of characters and a unique visual style.
Further evidence of this project's ongoing development includes a November 2023 job posting for a Senior Combat Designer, specifying the design of challenging multi-player combat encounters with new, potentially larger and more formidable machines.
A recent January 2025 job posting for a Senior Platform Engineer reveals Guerrilla Games' ambition for a large player base, targeting over one million players. This, coupled with the requirement for experience with globally distributed systems, strongly suggests a significant online component. While details remain scarce, this project is likely a Sony internal development rather than an NCSoft collaboration.
Sony and NCSoft's Strategic Partnership
On November 28, 2023, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and NCSoft formalized a strategic global partnership, aiming to leverage NCSoft's technological expertise and Sony's global reach in the entertainment industry. While the cancelled Horizon MMORPG is a setback, this partnership may open doors for future collaborations and potentially bring other Sony titles to mobile platforms.
