Ever since the release of the  well received “Horizion: Forbidden West” in 2023 fans of the Guerilla Games’ Horizon series have long been awaiting a third game to the series. While there is no official title yet guerilla has confirmed that Alloy’s story will continue: although fans may have to wait for it longer than thought.

Why is Horizon 3 a Distance Away?

Aloy’s journey is far from finished. Although Guerrilla has kept most of the details secret, Horizon Forbidden West and its DLC’s storylines suggest there is room for another massive adventure. This is looking more and more likely, as people familiar with Guerrilla Games’ plans have stated that a small team has been working on the next game in the franchise. This doesn’t mean the game plans have been left unprioritized though, since a small team can still be enough during the pre production and planning phases. However, reports do state that the game allegedly remains three years away from release.

So why is the game taking longer than expected to release? In February 2026, Guerrilla officially announced Horizon Hunters Gathering, a three player cooperative action game set in the Horizon universe. The game is being developed for PS5 and PC and introduces co op machine hunting gameplay rather than a single player, plot focused game. According to reports from Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, most of Guerrilla has been working on Hunters Gathering, which suggests it’s currently the studio’s main priority, and could be why Horizon 3 is still a distance away. The upside is this just means Guerrilla is stretching itself in new and exciitng gameplay directions while Aloy’s next chapter keeps quietly coming together behind the scenes.

How will the Horizon Franchise Continue?

For the moment Horizon 3 appears to be a project being quietly planned in the background rather than a game approaching its official reveal, and while a tiny team may not sound like much, it could be the first step toward bringing Aloy’s next adventure to life. Aloy’s journey will continue in the form of the previously mentioned co-op game, Horizon Hunters Gathering. The game focuses on groups of players teaming up to take on a series of iconic robots. The game includes different hunter classes, this includes Rem, Sun, Axle, Ensa, and Shadow, each offering a different ability to control certain machines. Hunters also have perk systems and skill paths that let you create different builds, and machines get stronger as the hunters do. Additionally, there are two mission types, Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent, with Machine Incursion having waves of machines culminating in a boss, and Cauldron Descent being a longer multi stage challenge involving rooms, machines, secrets, and rewards. There is also a confirmed story campaign that is canon to the Horizon universe, although the exact direction it will take is still unknown.

For now, the release of any trilogy entry in the series is unknown. If the franchise does get picked up with a threequel, the story would be expected to continue where Aloy’s journey in Forbidden West and its Burning Shores expansion left off, but where exactly remains a mystery. In the meantime, Horizon Hunters Gathering looks set to keep the franchise alive and going. To get the latest news about the Horizon franchise and the gaming industry, follow Middle East Gamer’s socials and website.