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Horizon Steel Frontiers

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Horizon Steel Frontiers
DeveloperNC[a]
PublisherNC
SeriesHorizon
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platforms
Release2027
GenreMMORPG

Horizon Steel Frontiers is an upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by NC, under licence from Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is spin-off of the Horizon franchise originally created by Guerrilla Games. Unlike previous entries in the franchise, the game is a shared-world multiplayer experience. It is designed primarily as a mobile-first title for Android and iOS devices, alongside a native Windows version playable through NC's proprietary PURPLE launcher. The game was officially announced in November 2025 at the G-Star gaming exhibition in South Korea, and is planned for release in the first half of 2027.

Gameplay

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Horizon Steel Frontiers is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that transitions the franchise into a cooperative, player versus environment (PvE) multiplayer structure inspired by the Monster Hunter series.[2] Players do not assume the role of the series' traditional protagonist, Aloy, but instead create their own customisable machine hunters and align themselves with one of four returning tribes: the Nora, Tenakth, Utaru, or Oseram.[3]

Combat is designed for touch interfaces and cooperative play. It focuses on melee weapons rather than ranged archery. A new "charged blade" mechanic allows players to deflect attacks and the series' mechanic of targeting and detaching machine components is retained.[2] The developers implemented a "smart lock-in" system to support the mobile control scheme that automatically adjusts distance management during encounters.[1] The game relies on social infrastructure. Players can congregate in hubs to upgrade gear, form guilds, and establish hunting parties before heading out into the open world; NC described these hubs as the "heart of the community" where players connect between missions.[1] The subterranean facilities known as "Cauldrons" return from previous games and serve as traditional MMORPG dungeons designed for team-based exploration. The game introduces new traversal methods, including the ability for players to ride machines, as well as aerial mounts to navigate the world.[2]

Synopsis

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The game takes place concurrently with the mainline Horizon entries.[1] The narrative of Steel Frontiers focuses on a new southern territory known as the Deadlands, which is inspired by the landscapes of the Southwestern United States, including Arizona and New Mexico.[4][5] The Deadlands feature overgrown skyscrapers and desert environments.[5]

Development and release

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In 2022, South Korean outlet MTN reported that NC was recruiting for an online Horizon spin-off codenamed "Project Skyline" or "Project H".[6] Steel Frontiers was announced on 12 November 2025.[4][5] The game's development by NC is a departure from Sony normally developing their main franchises internally.[7] NC handled programming and live-service infrastructure and built the game in Unreal Engine 5 instead of Guerrilla Games's Decima engine.[1] Guerrilla collaborated on the world design, with studio director Jan-Bart van Beek stating that their involvement was to maintain continuity with the main series.[1][8] The character designs are more stylised than previous games in the series.[1] At a June 2026 investor presentation it was revealed that the game was planned to be released in the first half of 2027.[9]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Additional work by Guerrilla Games[1]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Yin-Poole, Wesley (14 November 2025). "Horizon Steel Frontiers Interview with NCSoft — Is Aloy in the Game? How Will It Work on PC? And What About Those Stylized Characters?". IGN. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Purslow, Matt (13 November 2025). "Horizon Steel Frontiers: How the New Mobile MMORPG Changes Machine Combat". IGN. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  3. ↑ Gach, Ethan (13 November 2025). "Sony's Horizon MMO Copies Monster Hunter but Won't be on PS5". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 Romano, Sal (12 November 2025). "NCSOFT Announces MMORPG Horizon Steel Frontiers for PC, iOS, and Android". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Yin-Poole, Wesley (13 November 2025). "Sony and NCSoft Announce Horizon Steel Frontiers, a New Mobile-First MMORPG Set in Guerrilla's Horizon Universe — Check Out the Debut Trailer". IGN. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Leston, Ryan (8 November 2022). "Horizon MMO Is Reportedly in the Works from Sony and NCSoft". IGN. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Hyun-woo, Nam (24 November 2025). "Why NCSOFT's Horizon Steel Frontiers Is Skipping PlayStation — For Now". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Bea, Robin (13 November 2025). "Horizon Steel Frontiers Makes One of Sony's Biggest Series Multiplayer — But It's Skipping PlayStation". Inverse. Archived from the original on 14 November 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Cripe, Michael (5 June 2026). "Horizon Steel Frontiers, the MMORPG Spinoff in PlayStation's Horizon Franchise, Is Expected to Launch First Half of 2027". IGN. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
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