NCSOFT Corp., a leading South Korean game developer and publisher, has unveiled Horizon Steel Frontiers, the first-ever MMORPG set in Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Horizon universe.
The new title, rooted in the Horizon Zero Dawn franchise, marks NCSOFT’s strategic leap into AI-driven and cloud-based gaming experiences.
“Horizon Steel Frontiers represents NCSOFT’s new approach to MMORPGs,” Kim Taek-jin, founder and chief creative officer, said in an opening speech at the global game exhibition G-Star 2025 on Thursday.
“The game industry is undergoing fundamental change. Players no longer consume content passively,” Kim said, adding that modern titles must incorporate experiences that extend to watching, sharing and creating.
NCSOFT expects Horizon Steel Frontiers to reverse its slump caused by a lack of new releases.
In 2024, the company swung to a 109.2 billion won ($75 million) loss from a 559 billion won profit a year before. Revenue fell to 1.58 trillion won ($ billion) from 2.57 trillion won.
NCSOFT’s new strategy focus is built on three pillars: MMORPG, shooting games and subculture-focused titles.
“We have always aimed to create experiences where people can feel other people inside the game,” he said.
NCSOFT is developing several new titles, including Cinder City, Limit Zero Breakers and AION 2.
