Guerrilla Games Confirms They’re “Done” With ‘Killzone’, Now Focusing Completely On ‘Horizon’
In a move that is sure to divide gamers, Guerilla Games has confirmed that that in order to fully dedicate their time and attentions to the future of their Horizon series, the studio has officially sunset their previous Killzone series.
Guerilla Games’ full turn away from their dark and gritty FPS origins was revealed by studio Art Director Roy Postma in a recent interview with The Washington Post given in promotion of the upcoming Lego Horizon Adventures.
Asked by the outlet’s Gene Park about the current status of the Killzone franchise, Postma stated, “We were done with it as a team. As a studio, we needed to refresh the palette. [Horizon] was, by choice, [conceived as] the opposite of Killzone.”
And refresh the studio did, as in comparison to Killzone, the Horizon series is made with a focus on a much lighter type of content.
For those unfamiliar, the Killzone series throws players into a 24th century, space-based civil war and pits them against the totalitarian forces of the Helghan Empire, an ultranationalist collection of humans whose physical evolution has been accelerated by the harsh conditions of the given planets they colonized and seek to take revenge on the Earth governments who sentenced them to their fates (and whose aesthetics intentionally bear more than a passing similarity to those of Nazi Germany).
By contrast, while still set in a post-apocalyptic setting, the Horizon games are set on Earth, feature lush vegetation and large robotic creatures, and tell a story of hope centered on a strong female protagonist, Aloy.
Emphasizing this aspect of Aloy’s adventures, Postma noted, “I think the themes that this story and the characters represent are relatable for all ages and people, like having a found family of friends and finding your place in the world.”
So what can fans expect now that Guerrilla has officially and entirely turned its focus towards the Horizon (pun intended)?
As noted above, Lego Horizon Adventures is set to be the series’ next official release.
Made in collaboration with Studio Gobo, a noted industry support studio who has previously provided assistance on such titles as For Honor, Disney Infinity, and Hogwarts Legacy, the game, like other such Lego spin-offs, will present players with a more whimsical and playful take on Aloy’s world.
In addition to their Lego collaboration, as previously announced, Guerilla Games has also confirmed that another mainline Horizon game starring Aloy is already in development.
Further, rumors have also swirled that an online multiplayer offering is in the works, though details regarding its existence currently remain scarce.
All in all, this shift to making more ‘optimistic’ content, especially in regards to Lego Horizon Adventures, marks a significant change for Guerrilla.
Reflecting on this change, Postma noted, “Making people laugh when they play the game, that was new for us.”
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