The next installment in the Horizon series may feature multiple playable characters for the first time in the history of the franchise’s open-world adventure games.

The next Horizon game will feature multiple characters, a new direction compared to previous games that only focused on Aloy. Guerrilla Games hinted at this possibility in a recent job posting, in which they mentioned creating “fun and memorable” playable characters. Building on the success of the Horizon franchise with over 32.7 million copies sold, the next game is highly anticipated and expected to offer fans even more.

The next installment in Guerrilla Games’ highly acclaimed Horizon franchise could potentially feature multiple playable characters, a first in the franchise’s history. Although we have only been able to follow Aloy’s open-world adventures in two main series games so far, the franchise has already become one of PlayStation’s most beloved series since its debut in 2017. Horizon Forbidden West, released at the beginning of last year and received with great anticipation, received several accolades, including a nomination for game of the year at the 2022 Game Awards. Now a significant change can come in the next game of the series.

While Aloy was the playable character throughout the first two games of the Horizon franchise, one of the latest spin-offs of the series experiments with the inclusion of new characters. Horizon Call of the Mountain is the first Horizon game where players do not control Aloy, but the new character Ryas is the protagonist of a VR Horizon game. Due to Aloy’s popularity, Sony’s heroine has appeared in other games, including Genshin Impact and Monster Hunter World. Now, according to a new job posting, playable companions may be introduced in the next Horizon game.

Based on a recent job posting by Horizon franchise developer Guerrilla Games, fans are speculating that the next Horizon game may feature more playable characters. The ad, seeking a Senior Character Combat Designer, refers to the creation of “fun and memorable playable characters” for an unnamed project. The job posting also mentions “tactical choices for multiple playable characters,” suggesting that Guerrilla may be planning to introduce more playable characters, similar to Sony’s other blockbuster God of War: Ragnarok. Guerrilla has already hinted at a new Horizon game, although no official announcement has yet been made.

Although Guerrilla Games has shared few details about the next installment in the Horizon franchise, the developer recently gave fans a new reason to return to the world of Forbidden West. In April, the Burning Shores expansion was released, adding a new story and a new playable area to the game. The DLC resonated with fans as it added an optional gay romance story for Aloy within the expansion, where new character Seyka became her love interest. The update also added more enemies and nine legendary weapons for players to acquire.

Rumors of more playable characters in Horizon’s latest game have surfaced as the franchise has seen huge success since the release of Forbidden West last year. Guerrilla Games announced in May that the combined sales of Zero Dawn and Forbidden West exceeded 32.7 million units. Horizon Zero Dawn also passed the 20 million milestone, just one week before the release of Forbidden West. The Horizon franchise has become a staple for Sony, and it looks like the next game will be able to offer players even more.

Source: GameRant