NCSoft has announced that it is delaying Horizon Steel Frontiers to the first half of 2027. The announcement was made in the company’s new investor relations presentation, which also didn’t elaborate on whether this new launch window would be for a global release or if it would be a Korea-first launch, as tends to be the case for many online games developed in the region.
The company didn’t really reveal any reason behind its decision to push the title’s release back to the first half of 2027, aside from noting that it will be joining other planned releases for the year that include Defect, Astrae Oratio, and Bonfire, among others. The fact that the company has fairly crowded plans for 2026 might have played a role in this, with titles like Cinder City and Time Takers slated for release in the second half of this year.
Horizon Steel Frontiers was officially unveiled back in November 2025, nearly two years after NCSoft and Sony had announced their strategic partnership. The MMORPG is being developed for PC, iOS, and Android. A PS5 release is conspicuous by its absence, especially since Horizon is one of Sony’s tentpole first-party franchises. In a statement, executive producer Lee Song clarified that NCSoft has “no reason” not to target the console. The decision, however, lies with Sony.
The MMORPG is slated to feature “unique, original gameplay elements” that revolve around taking down giant machines. An example provided of such gameplay elements involves making use of a Pullcaster to climb onto the machines after having destroyed a specific part. Players will also be able to set traps on damaged parts, and even inflict status afflictions.
“In Horizon Steel Frontiers, every player is a hero,” said executive producer Sung-Gu Lee. “We’ve put great care into customization, allowing you to fully express your individuality—even down to the smallest details. During character creation, we’ve incorporated the tribes from the original Horizon world.”
Interestingly, Horizon Steel Frontiers is being developed using Unreal Engine 5 rather than the franchise’s traditional Decima Engine. In an interview, Lee spoke about working closely with Guerrilla Games to develop the title, since the studio has quite a bit of technical expertise.
“We worked closely with Guerrilla to make sure we preserved the visual fidelity of the original, while creating gameplay that feels unique to Steel Frontiers,” he said. “Leveraging Unreal Engine 5’s powerful graphics capabilities, we’re able to deliver breathtaking visuals and smooth multiplayer experiences across both mobile and PC.”
Horizon Steel Frontiers isn’t the only multiplayer game based on the franchise currently in the works; February saw the unveiling of the Guerrilla Games-developed Horizon Hunters Gathering – a co-op game taking place in the Horizon universe that is being developed for PC and PS5. The title features a more stylistic look, and will revolve around two game modes – Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent.
Horizon Hunters Gathering has been made available through a number of closed playtests, with the most recent one being held from May 22nd to May 25th across both PC and PS5. It doesn’t yet have a solid release date.
