PlayStation is reportedly planning to revive the Killzone series, with a new remaster or remake currently in the early stages of development.
That’s according to MP1st, which claims that original Killzone developer Guerrilla Games is working with an external studio on a Killzone “remaster/remake”. The publication speculates that this could be a revamp of the original 2004 game.
According to its sources, the Killzone project was supposed to be Guerrilla’s next focus after Horizon Hunter’s Gathering, but plans changed following the recent decision to allegedly delay that project and pivot away from live service.
Currently, the majority of Guerrilla’s staff are said to be working on the multiplayer game. Part of Guerrilla will likely switch to Killzone after Hunter’s Gathering ships, it’s claimed, with the rest focusing on Horizon 3.
The Killzone series was once one of PlayStation’s flagship franchises, with six instalments released across PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and handheld consoles in the nine years following its 2004 debut.
However, Killzone hasn’t seen a proper release since 2013’s PlayStation 4 launch game, Killzone: Shadow Fall. In the decade since, Guerrilla shifted focus to the Horizon series, which, according to art director Roy Postma, the studio was keen to do after years of creating gritty shooters.
Asked in 2017 about the future of the Killzone franchise, then-Guerrilla boss Hermen Hulst (now PlayStation’s studios boss) gave the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences a non-committal answer.
“I get asked that question [about the future of Killzone] a lot through Twitter and other social media channels,” he said. “It’s really heartwarming to hear that there’s such a strong appetite from the loyal Killzone fanbase. It’s a franchise and universe that we still love with a passion at Guerrilla.
“It hasn’t been easy doing something so completely different. Whether or not we’ve put a permanent period behind the series, it’s too early to make announcements on that. All I can say is that we’ve always loved the Killzone universe and the Killzone series, and we still do. We share that passion for the game with a lot of our fans.”
