Horizon Hunters Gathering will host a second closed test from May 22 – 25, 2026, Guerrilla Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment have announce. You sign up for the second test on the official PlayStation website now.
The second closed test will be playable on PS5 and PC and has “quite a bit of implemented player feedback,” which will be detailed at a later date. In regards to content, players will be able to get hands-on with two new Hunters in the form of Ensa and Shadow. The former is described as a “charismatic Oseram smuggler” who has a history as a mercenary, while Shadow commands a fearsome Stalker machine and is a covert operative.
Meanwhile, a new playable episode is also included in the second closed test, which Guerrilla Games says play a central role in the narrative campaign and offer new mysteries, characters, and mechanics. Here, you’ll pick a Hunter and venture into the wilds to save Ashwater Valley from machine hordes. Beyond that, the Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent modes return with new difficulty modes for players to test their might against.
Finally, Horizon Hunters Gathering’s second closed test will feature a new region, Breakers’ Bounty, which is packed with dense jungles and ravage ruins on the border of a sunk-baked desert. You can still access Devil’s Thirst and the Gathering, the latter being the social space where you can brush shoulders with other players, build your load out, and customise your camp.
We want to emphasize again: Horizon Hunters Gathering is a game in development; we choose to playtest early and with small numbers to focus on the core experience and implement player feedback before opening to bigger groups of players. We learn a lot from each playtest and this second one is no different; we appreciate each of you who take the time to leave us your honest thoughts.
Horizon Hunters Gathering has yet to attract a release date.