Guerrilla Games has dedicated years to the Horizon series, showing no signs of pausing, which isn’t great news for those who appreciate the Killzone franchise. In a recent interview, a developer from Guerrilla mentioned that the studio had moved on from the dark shooter series when they transitioned to creating Horizon Zero Dawn.
“As a team, we felt our work with it was complete. We needed a fresh direction as a studio. It was a conscious decision to explore something completely different from Killzone,” stated art director Roy Postma in an interview with The Washington Post.
Guerrilla Games embarked on its gaming journey in 2003, achieving significant recognition with Killzone, a sci-fi first-person shooter set in a bleak dystopia. They developed five installments in the Killzone series, four of which came after Sony acquired the company. Once they shifted their focus to the Horizon series, they concluded the Killzone saga with Killzone: Shadow Fall in 2013.
Furthermore, there has been little conversation about Killzone from Sony Interactive Entertainment. While characters from Killzone made cameo appearances in Astro Bot, a nostalgic homage to PlayStation history, that has been the extent of its presence. The servers for Killzone: Mercenary on PlayStation Vita ceased operations in 2020.
Although Horizon Zero Dawn retained a serious tone, Guerrilla is now shifting toward a more family-friendly approach with its upcoming title, Lego Horizon Adventures, set for release on November 14. This adaptation reimagines Horizon Zero Dawn with a blocky aesthetic, added humor, and simplified mechanics. During a preview at Summer Game Fest, it was noted that the game possesses a “childlike charm,” making it an ideal way for parents to introduce the franchise to younger audiences. Alongside this, a remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn is set to launch on October 31. Recent reports also suggest that Guerrilla is developing a multiplayer component, known as “Horizon online,” in anticipation of a potential third main installment in the series.
While news regarding Killzone from Guerrilla seems unlikely, the gaming industry’s recent trend of remasters and reimaginings—like the upcoming Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered—could offer a glimmer of hope for Killzone’s return through another developer.