NCSoft Scraps Horizon MMORPG "Project H"

News broke on January 13, 2025, via South Korean news outlet MTN, that NCSoft had canceled several projects, including a highly anticipated Horizon MMORPG codenamed "H." This decision follows a company-wide "feasibility review," impacting multiple titles. Alongside "H," another project, codenamed "J," was also reportedly axed, while "Pantera" (or "Raising Lineage") remains under evaluation.

The report further indicates that key developers working on "Project H" departed NCSoft. Remaining team members are reportedly being reassigned to other company projects. The removal of "H" and "J" from NCSoft's organizational chart serves as further confirmation of their cancellation.

While neither Sony nor NCSoft have issued official statements, the future of "Project H" remains uncertain. The possibility of another publisher or development team taking over remains speculative.

Parallel Development: Guerrilla Games' Horizon Online Project

Despite the NCSoft cancellation, Guerrilla Games continues its work on a separate Horizon multiplayer game, internally referred to as the "Online Project." Initially announced on December 16, 2022, via a Twitter(X) post, this project promises a fresh cast of characters and a unique visual style.

Job postings, including one for a Senior Combat Designer (November 2023), hinted at challenging, multi-player combat encounters with enhanced machine enemies. A recent Senior Platform Engineer listing (January 2025) suggests Guerrilla Games anticipates a player base exceeding one million, further solidifying the scale of their ambitions.

Sony and NCSoft's Strategic Partnership

The November 28, 2023 announcement of a strategic partnership between Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and NCSoft aimed to leverage NCSoft's technological expertise and SIE's global reach. While the Horizon MMORPG cancellation is unfortunate, this partnership could pave the way for future collaborations, potentially bringing other Sony titles to mobile platforms.

The future of Horizon in the multiplayer space remains dynamic, with Guerrilla Games' "Online Project" poised to potentially fill the void left by NCSoft's cancelled title.