NCSoft has provided its clearest look yet at the future of Horizon: Steel Frontiers, with a newly published investor presentation indicating that the upcoming Horizon MMO is currently targeting a release in the first half of 2027. The title appears prominently in the company’s latest pipeline roadmap, where it is listed among NCSoft’s major projects planned for 2027.
One of the most significant disclosures is that Horizon: Steel Frontiers is being developed internally. On the presentation’s in-house development slide, the game is grouped alongside other major NCSoft projects such as Aion 2 and Cinder City, confirming that it is not being handled as an external publishing partnership.
The presentation also positions Horizon: Steel Frontiers as part of NCSoft’s broader effort to diversify beyond its traditional MMORPG business. The company outlined four major genre pillars that will drive future growth: MMORPG, Shooting, Mobile Casual, and Subculture. NCSoft stated that it intends to expand across multiple genre categories while building dedicated ecosystems around each of them.
Horizon: Steel Frontiers appears to be one of the projects central to that initiative. Alongside Cinder City, it is presented as part of the publisher’s push to establish new internally developed franchises beyond long-running properties such as Lineage, Aion, and Blade & Soul.
The 2027 release window also highlights where the game currently sits within NCSoft’s development priorities. Before Horizon arrives, the company has a packed 2026 schedule that includes Line Zero Breakers, Cinder City, Time Takers, three spin-off projects, and the global expansion of Aion 2. These releases are expected to serve as key growth drivers before Horizon enters the market.
The investor materials further emphasize NCSoft’s strategy of expanding legacy franchises, creating new internal intellectual properties, investing in external developers, and pursuing publishing and acquisition opportunities. Horizon: Steel Frontiers is specifically positioned within the company’s new internal IP initiative.
Originally announced in 2025, Horizon: Steel Frontiers is being developed by NCSoft with support from Guerrilla Games. The cross-platform MMORPG is planned for both mobile devices and PC.
