Guerrilla Games and PlayStation are gearing up for another round of testing for Horizon Hunters Gathering, their upcoming tactical co-op action game set in the Horizon universe. The second closed playtest is scheduled to run from May 22 to 25 on both PS5 and PC via Steam, building significantly on the first beta that took place in late February. Players interested in joining can register through the PlayStation Beta Program website, though spots are limited and not everyone who applies will be selected.
The biggest additions coming in this test are two brand-new playable hunters. Ensa is described as a charismatic Oseram smuggler carrying baggage from a mercenary past, while Shadow is a Carja covert operative who fights alongside a fearsome Stalker machine. They join the three characters from the first playtest — Rem, Sun, and Axle — bringing the roster to five. Guerrilla has promised to reveal more details about both newcomers in the weeks ahead.
Beyond new characters, the second test introduces a playable narrative episode designed to offer a glimpse of the game’s story campaign and some of its deeper mysteries. This is a notable addition, as it will give testers their first real taste of how Horizon Hunters Gathering plans to weave narrative threads into its multiplayer structure. According to Eurogamer, the episode will feature both Ensa and Shadow as central figures.
Returning modes are also getting meaningful upgrades. Machine Incursion, the wave-based survival mode, now includes Hard and Merciless difficulty tiers for players seeking a greater challenge. Cauldron Descent, the multi-stage trial mode, gains a new Training Module system aimed at helping newcomers get up to speed. Veterans from the first beta, meanwhile, may want to explore the entirely new region called Breakers’ Bounty, which features dense jungles and crumbling ruins on the edge of a scorching desert teeming with dangerous machines.
A quieter but welcome detail is the addition of friendly hunter NPCs that can accompany solo players or fill empty slots on co-op teams. This should make the experience more accessible for those who prefer to play alone or who struggle to find a full squad. Guerrilla also noted that the second test incorporates improvements based on community feedback from the February beta, though specifics on those changes have not yet been shared.
Horizon Hunters Gathering stands apart from the mainline Horizon series with its more vibrant, stylized visual approach and its focus on team-based tactical combat against the franchise’s iconic machine creatures. The game supports groups of up to three players and has no confirmed release date or pricing model yet. Whether it launches as a premium title or a free-to-play experience remains one of the bigger unanswered questions surrounding the project.