The two CEOs of the companies – Jim Ryan from Sony Interactive Entertainment and Taekjin Kim from NCSoft – have come together to sign the “strategic partnership.” This fuels rumors of an MMORPG that is supposed to take place in the world of Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West.
What is behind the partnership? As part of the partnership, NCSoft and Sony will “cooperate in various global business fields,” as stated in an official statement. This also includes the mobile sector.
The two companies benefit from each other’s expertise:
- NCSoft can offer technological capabilities. The company has a lot of experience in the MMORPG and mobile sectors. Some of the best-known titles include Blade & Soul or Lineage II.
- Sony is in a global leadership position in the entertainment sector. Accordingly, it could be that Sony’s IPs will serve as templates. There has long been a rumor, that an MMORPG set in Horizon is in development.
During the announcement, no specific games were mentioned that are in development through the collaboration. CEO Jim Ryan merely stated that the collaboration with NCSoft aims to expand the fanbase beyond the PlayStation console.
NCSoft is known for Blade & Soul among other things. The MMORPG will soon receive new servers:
Horizon MMORPG becomes increasingly likely
What kind of games could come? Last year, rumors surfaced that Sony and NCSoft are working on an MMORPG in the Horizon universe. The game is said to be in development by the team responsible for Lineage.
The MMORPG is expected to be released later than Aion 2. As the release of Aion 2 is anticipated for 2025, we might see the Horizon MMORPG in 2026.
Sony and the development team from Guerrilla have always been interested in incorporating a co-op mode into the Horizon world. However, neither Horizon: Zero Dawn nor Horizon: Forbidden West have included a multiplayer mode.
It may also be that NCSoft will ensure that some Sony IPs will be adapted as mobile titles. Sony specifically highlighted the mobile sector in its statement, and the expansion of the audience beyond the PS5 console could fit with that.
Is NCSoft the right partner? NCSoft is one of the largest companies involved in the development and distribution of MMORPGs. One of its major successes is Lineage, which was released on September 3, 1998, and received a sequel in Lineage II.
Besides the Horizon MMORPG, new games for mobile may follow. Here, too, NCSoft has established itself well: With Lineage W, a mobile offshoot, the company has reportedly generated a revenue of 280 million euros.
Currently, NCSoft is working on the upcoming MMORPG Throne and Liberty, which recently revealed its first information about its in-game shop.
When could the first information be released? Since the release is still a few years away, we might have to wait some time for an announcement of the MMORPG. Should NCSoft and Sony invite for alpha and beta tests, it would be possible that we learn something about the game by the end of 2024.
However, this is merely speculation. In the end, we must wait until Sony and NCSoft are ready to unveil their new games. We are looking forward to seeing what other titles will emerge from this partnership.
MeinMMO has listed the best mobile MMORPGs for 2023: The 10 best mobile MMORPGs 2023 for iOS and Android
