According to IGN, Sony and South Korean game company NCSoft have officially announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, a new MMORPG set in Guerrilla’s Horizon universe specifically designed for mobile devices. The partnership confirmation came alongside a 10-minute development diary showing character customization, social features, and raid-style boss fights against robot dinosaurs. Players will become machine hunters in the Deadlands, working with others to defeat enemies and compete for resources. There’s no release date yet, and it’s unclear where this fits in the Horizon timeline or if familiar characters like Aloy will appear. The game is primarily built for mobile but will also be playable on PC through NCSoft’s proprietary Purple platform, with no mention of PlayStation or wider console release.
Mobile-first strategy
This is a pretty significant shift for a franchise that’s been console-exclusive until now. Sony’s pushing Horizon into the mobile space with NCSoft, who basically built their reputation on MMOs like Guild Wars and Lineage. The mobile focus makes complete business sense when you consider Horizon has sold over 32.7 million units across all titles – that’s a massive audience to potentially tap into. But here’s the thing: mobile gaming revenue absolutely dwarfs console gaming, and Sony’s clearly decided it’s time to get serious about that market.
Multiple horizon projects
What’s really interesting is that Guerrilla is reportedly working on their own multiplayer Horizon game for PS5 and PC simultaneously. So we’re looking at two different Horizon multiplayer experiences developing in parallel – one from the original creators for consoles, and this mobile-focused version from NCSoft. That’s either brilliant franchise management or a potential recipe for confusion. How will these two games differentiate themselves? Will they compete or complement each other?
Franchise expansion
Between the mobile MMORPG, Guerrilla’s multiplayer project, the Horizon: Forbidden West sequel in development, the VR spin-off Call of the Mountain, and even a live-action movie planned for 2027, Sony’s treating Horizon like their next mega-franchise. They’re basically doing with Horizon what they did with Spider-Man – flooding the zone with content across every possible platform and medium. It’s an aggressive expansion strategy that could either cement Horizon as PlayStation’s next flagship IP or risk oversaturation.
What’s missing
The big question marks are timing and platform strategy. No release date means this could be years away, and the lack of PlayStation console mention is curious given it’s a Sony-owned IP. Also, the Monster Hunter-inspired PvE gameplay looks solid in the trailer, but will it feel like Horizon without Aloy and the established world? Mobile games live or die by their live service elements, and NCSoft has the experience, but can they capture what makes Horizon special while making it work for mobile audiences? We’ll have to wait and see how this shapes up.
