After swapping Metroidvania icon Ori for Soulslike RPG No Rest for the Wicked, studio boss tells Horizon devs not to sweat it "too much" if fans don't like their multiplayer pivot "just yet"

Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler has backed Guerrilla Games on its co-op pivot, Horizon Hunters Gathering, telling the team not to worry too much if people aren't immediately on board with such a drastically different game.

Guerrilla Games last week revealed a co-op spin-off of its usually single-player robot-dinosaur series, Horizon Hunters Gathering, a game that looks a touch more like Monster Hunter than Horizon Zero Dawn. Between the updated art style and general gameplay loop, online reactions haven't been too hot, prompting Mahler to jump into the discourse.

The Ori and No Rest for the Wicked studio head recently tweeted in support of the PlayStation studio. "Don't fret too much if people don't like your game just yet," he writes on Twitter. "Don't lose heart, focus on gameplay and polish and try to innovate: Give us an experience that we didn't have before. Remember: It ain't over till the fat lady sings."

Mahler's co-op action RPG No Rest for the Wicked was another major genre departure for his studio, which had previously found success with two gorgeous Metroidvanias. No Rest for the Wicked also had a tough time out of the gate with negative reviews, but after a bunch of Early Access updates, it's since reached the point where Mahler reckons it could be an evergreen hit that keeps growing for years.

We'll start hearing what people really think about Horizon Hunters Gathering when players go hands-on sometime later this year. And in case you wanted to throw your hat into the post-apocalyptic ring, here's how to sign up for Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest on PS5 and PC.

After announcing a multiplayer Horizon game, Guerrilla boss heads off live service complaints: "We absolutely love making single-player games, and we're going to keep making them."