Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest May 22–25 adds two Hunters

Guerrilla Games will run a closed playtest for Horizon Hunters Gathering from May 22 to May 25. The build will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. Registration is handled exclusively through the PlayStation Beta Program; players should sign in to PlayStation.com before using the registration link. An internet connection is required and Guerrilla will send invites to accounts the Beta Program flags as interested.

Guerrilla held a limited playtest in late February that opened Machine Incursion, introduced Hunters Rem, Sun and Axle, and tested Cauldron Descent. The studio implemented player feedback from that test and prepared additional content and systems for the May playtest to further evaluate core mechanics and gather community responses.

The May build adds two Hunters: Ensa, an Oseram smuggler with a mercenary background, and Shadow, a Carja covert operative who commands a Stalker machine. The test also includes a playable Episode in which players choose a Hunter and attempt to save Ashwater Valley from a machine outbreak. The Episode is set in Breakers’ Bounty, a region of dense jungle, ruined settlements and terrain that borders a desert populated by aggressive machines. Players will retain access to Devil’s Thirst and to the Gathering social hub for loadout management and player interaction.

Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent return with increased difficulty. Machine Incursion now offers Hard and Merciless difficulty options and stages waves of machines led by tougher bosses. Cauldron Descent presents longer, multi-stage trials with harder rooms and hidden doors that require team coordination to access.

To aid onboarding and solo play, the test will offer Training Modules that explain game systems. Hunter NPCs Rem, Sun and Axle can assist in combat or automatically fill an empty slot on a three-player team during Episode or Machine Incursion modes.

Guerrilla recommends following the Horizon Hunters Gathering Discord and the studio’s social channels for playtest details and registration updates. The studio has hosted developer Q&A sessions on Discord and social platforms to share design updates and collect player feedback during development.