Horizon: Steel Frontiers Developers Revealed the Extent of AI Use

The Horizon Steel Frontiers team is highly committed to using AI in development, and the technology is already being applied widely.

Horizon Steel Frontiers is a newly announced MMORPG from PlayStation and NCSoft, planned for release on PC and mobile. A launch date hasn’t been announced yet, but details about the game’s development and AI usage have surfaced online.

In an interview with RuliWeb, the developers explained that AI assists in creating NPCs, which are tested for cooperative behaviors and combat interactions with players. The technology is also used to determine optimal player counts for matches, helping avoid large, congested gatherings. Within NCSoft, AI supports production across many areas—from coding to asset creation. The team emphasized that AI has been integrated “substantially,” and they plan to reveal the specific tools and systems used at a later time.

The developers expressed a strong desire to harness AI, and said NCSoft is employing it “actively.” They expect AI usage in games to rise noticeably after the launch of Aion 2.

The game’s setting, called “Deadlands,” is inspired by Arizona and Mexico. The developers intend to preserve the original’s thematic core and to convey themes of resilience and hope through gameplay. The central concept—“the exhilaration of battling colossal machines”—is being expanded for an MMO: players will be able to disable or destroy parts of hostile machinery, collaborate with others, and mount weapons on carriers. Tribal influences will remain, and character customization will be more robust, offering options such as body type, makeup, and other fine details.

Source: iXBT.games