New ‘Horizon’ game twists original genre

Horizon Steel Frontiers, a new massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the same universe as the singleplayer Horizon: Zero Dawn, was revealed last weekend. The science fiction franchise has become one of PlayStation’s most successful series, known for its strong sales, critical acclaim and distinctive world where humanity coexists with animal-like machines.

The announcement took place at G-Star 2025, a major gaming conference in Busan, Korea.

“When I first experienced Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, I was instantly drawn into its vibrant and captivating world,” says Taekjin Kim, NCSoft founder and co-chairman, in an announcement video.

“The battle against colossal machine lifeforms was exhilarating and the mysterious narrative sparked my curiosity, urging me to explore every corner of that universe. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel a little wistful that such an incredible world had to be experienced alone. I imaged how thrilling it would be to meet others, to team up and face these massive machines together.

“From the beginning, I was convinced battling machine lifeforms would be far more exciting than facing any fantasy monster. That vision inspired us to create an MMO set in this extraordinary universe.”

Steel Frontiers is developed in collaboration with Guerrilla (Horizon, Killzone), a studio under Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE).

Jan-Bart van Beek, Guriella studio director and concept creator for the original Horizon&nbsp franchise, said in the same video: “This world [that] we have poured our hearts and souls into is a place where humanity, nature and technology are constantly colliding. It’s become a vibrant and living world full of stories, tribal cultures and of course those incredible animal-like machines that rule the land. From the very beginning of creating this franchise, we’ve imagined the Horizon universe as one that can be experienced in many different ways.”

In Steel Frontiers, players can take on the role of Machine Hunters, chasing opportunity in the Deadlands. This frontier, inspired by Arizona and New Mexico, is shared with thousands of other players. They can work together to take down machines, compete with rival tribes, or fight over resources.

“At the heart of Horizon story, is the search for the balance between humanity, nature and technology,” says van Beek. “And sometimes that harmony has conflict. But it always creates a world filled with mystery and beauty. What we want players to feel is the world’s resilience and its hope. And even when everything feels overwhelming, humanity can adapt, survive and find meaning in the world.”

​NCSoft at G-Star 2025

Following Horizon Steel Frontiers’ announcement, NCSoft presented a lineup of titles. These included:

• Aion 2, which aims to be the complete edition of the original Aion. Itwill launch on 19 November in Korea and Taiwan, and isscheduled for a global release in 2026.
• Cinder City, an open-world tactical shooter, which is currently in development by NCSoft studio BigFire Games. It aims to offer a AAA-quality narrative experience set in an expansive open world.
• Limit Zero Breakers, an anime-inspired action RPG in development by VIC Game Studio.
• Time Takers, a time-survival shooter developed by Mistil Games.

Where to play Horizon Steel Frontiers?

Horizon Steel Frontiers will be available for PC and mobile via NCSoft’s game platform Purple.

* Visit the Horizon Steel Frontiers website here.