Horizon Hunters Gathering: how the 3-player co-op actually works

Horizon Hunters Gathering is a three‑player co‑op action game for PS5 and PC where small squads run repeatable machine hunts instead of roaming a giant open world. You pick from a roster of unique Hunters, assign a class‑style role, and push through two main PvE modes—Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent—with cross‑play and cross‑progression between platforms. A small closed playtest at the end of February 2026 lets you try both modes on PS5 and PC via the PlayStation Beta Program.

If you just want the basics: Horizon Hunters Gathering is built around short, tactical hunts in squads of three, using precise Horizon‑style weak‑point combat, roguelite perks, and defined team roles. You’ll spend your time queuing missions, breaking machine parts, grabbing power‑ups mid‑run, and then returning to a shared hub to upgrade your Hunter before the next hunt. The full game doesn’t have a release date yet, but the confirmed features already make it a clear co‑op spin‑off rather than a traditional single‑player sequel.​

How To Play Horizon Hunters Gathering

1. Form a squad of up to three Hunters on PS5 or PC (cross‑play on by default).

2. Pick a Hunter and assign a role like healer, damage dealer, support, or tactician.

3. Choose a mode: shorter Machine Incursion or longer Cauldron Descent.

4. Fight through waves or dungeon rooms, grabbing random perks to shape your build.​

5. Return to the Hunters Gathering hub to upgrade gear, customize your campsite, and queue again.​

What kind of co-op game is Horizon Hunters Gathering?

Horizon Hunters Gathering is a third‑person PvE co‑op game set after Horizon Forbidden West, where three players take on the role of Hunters defending settlements from hostile machines. It keeps the familiar machine designs and weak‑point targeting from the main series but wraps everything in tight missions instead of a free‑roam map. Guerrilla frames it as tactical and skill‑based combat, closer to deliberate hunts than spammy horde modes.

The game supports PS5 and PC at launch, with full cross‑play and cross‑progression as long as you use the same PlayStation account. You can play solo with AI support for the narrative campaign, but all the official messaging makes it clear the design is tuned around three human players coordinating roles and perks.

Expert Insight: In the reveal gameplay, trios that stay spread just enough to cover flanks while focusing fire on weak points delete machine armor very quickly, but groups that clump or ignore parts tend to get pinned down by overlapping attacks and chip damage over time.​

Is Horizon Hunters Gathering free-to-play?

Right now, Sony has not confirmed whether Horizon Hunters Gathering will be free‑to‑play or a paid title, and there is no final launch date. The only dated milestone is the end‑of‑February 2026 closed playtest, which is explicitly described as small‑scale and subject to change.

Machine Incursion vs Cauldron Descent: how the modes work

Two PvE modes are confirmed for Horizon Hunters Gathering: Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent, and both will be in the first playtest.

Machine Incursion: short, high-pressure hunts

Machine Incursion drops your squad into a wide outdoor map where waves of machines pour out of underground gateways. The arena slowly tightens with a shrinking ring, forcing you to reposition while dealing with roaming enemies and environmental hazards, before a big boss closes the run. Power‑ups and perks spawn around the map, giving you mid‑run build choices that can flip a bad start into a salvageable finish.

This mode is ideal if you only have 15–25 minutes and want one focused session. It rewards teams that can quickly decide who grabs which perk and who keeps the boss distracted while others pick apart adds and armor plates.​

Cauldron Descent: longer dungeon-style runs

Cauldron Descent is a multi‑stage dungeon crawl inside a Horizon Cauldron, split into changing rooms connected by branching paths. Each room throws different machine combinations and modifiers at you, and secret doors offer extra rewards if you’re willing to push through tougher fights. Runs here take longer and demand more coordination, especially as perks stack and machines escalate.​

This is the mode for squads that enjoy planning routes and testing builds across longer sessions. It also seems like the better place to push high‑risk attempts once you’re comfortable with your Hunter’s tools.

Mode snapshot

Hunters, classes, and roguelite perks

You don’t play as Aloy here. Instead, you choose from a roster of stylised Hunters, each with their own silhouette, weapon focus, and animations. On top of that, you assign a class‑like role such as healer, damage dealer, tank, or tactician, which shifts your abilities toward support, survivability, or control.

During a run, you pick up roguelite perks that stack on top of your core kit. These can tweak damage types, cooldowns, crowd control, or healing, all chosen from randomized options, so each hunt plays a little differently even on the same map. Surviving a full run feels like a test of both raw aim and how well your trio chooses perk combinations that work together.​

Basic team template for early runs

• One precision damage Hunter focused on ranged weak‑point hits

• One control Hunter with traps, staggers, or debuffs

• One flexible support who can heal, buff, or peel enemies off teammates

​If you already keep a broader Horizon settings or build hub bookmarked for the single‑player games, this spin‑off sits neatly alongside it as “the co‑op branch” where you tune roles and perks for three‑player hunts instead of solo builds.

How the hub, progression, and playtest sign-ups work

Between missions, everyone returns to Hunters Gathering, a shared social hub that acts as your campsite and upgrade space. Here you can:​

• Meet other players and form squads

• Visit vendors to upgrade weapons and gear

• Customize your Hunter and campsite

• Queue for Machine Incursion or Cauldron Descent

​The hub gives the game a loop similar to other co‑op titles: hunt, return to base, improve gear, then go again. It also helps keep the experience readable for new players, since all the menus and NPCs sit in one space rather than scattered across a giant map.

How to sign up for the Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest

To get into the first closed playtest on PS5 or PC, you need to register your interest through Sony’s programs; it isn’t an open beta.

1. Log into your PlayStation account on the official PlayStation Beta Program or related sign‑up page.

2. Find Horizon Hunters Gathering in the list of available tests.

3. Register for the end‑of‑February 2026 closed playtest on PS5, PC, or both.

4. Wait for an email or notification confirming if you’ve been selected.

Spaces are limited, and Sony describes the test as small‑scale, focused on core combat and server stability rather than full launch content.

Is Horizon Hunters Gathering worth watching if you like the main games?

If you enjoy Horizon’s machine combat and want something you can play in short sessions with friends, Horizon Hunters Gathering is worth keeping on your radar. It doesn’t replace the big, story‑driven adventures, but it gives that combat a more replayable, co‑op‑friendly format that fits into regular weekly play.​

On the other hand, if you only care about single‑player exploration and long quests, this spin‑off might sit more as an optional side dish alongside future mainline entries. Either way, the February playtest will give the first real sense of how those roles, perks, and modes feel over multiple nights of hunting.