Guerrilla Games' Horizon Multiplayer: A Million-Player Ambitions or Preemptive Measures?
Guerrilla Games' upcoming Horizon multiplayer game is generating significant buzz, with recent evidence suggesting ambitious player projections or perhaps a focus on preventing launch-day server issues. A recent job listing for a Senior Platform Engineer highlights a requirement for experience building systems supporting over one million users, hinting at either incredibly high expectations for player engagement or a proactive approach to server stability.
Since Horizon Forbidden West's release in 2022 and its Burning Shores DLC, Guerrilla has remained relatively quiet, aside from collaborations on projects like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures. However, the existence of a Horizon multiplayer game has been hinted at in job listings dating back to 2018, making its eventual release almost certain.
While the official announcement remains pending, the aforementioned job listing suggests Guerrilla anticipates a massive player base. The requirement for experience with "1M+ user globally distributed systems" strongly implies a robust live-service infrastructure designed to handle a substantial influx of players.
Avoiding a Helldivers 2 Repeat?
Alternatively, this focus on scalability could be a precautionary measure. The launch of Helldivers 2 was marred by significant server issues due to unexpectedly high player numbers. Guerrilla might be aiming to avoid similar problems for its Horizon multiplayer title, ensuring a smooth launch experience for all players. While the Horizon game's success isn't guaranteed to mirror Helldivers 2, preparing for a large player count is a prudent strategy.
Given the game's years-long development and a previous job listing suggesting a new Horizon release in 2025, the multiplayer project could be the title in question. Assuming development is progressing smoothly, a reveal later this year seems plausible.
