For the past year, I've been building a 5-6 world universe. Currently, I have Zone One and Zone Wars live, with Zone 2 and Zone 3 in progress. The initial Zone One project started as a proof of concept—an experiment to see what was possible. At first, it was just an awesome build with no clear idea of how to make it immersive or retain players.
Given the complexity of Horizon Worlds, I knew Zone One might appeal more to an older crowd. To help new players, I created a Mod Team to run Steel City and guide newcomers. It worked for a while, but with the long development times of the other worlds, we may have lost some momentum.
With our latest addition, 5v5 Zone Wars, I was hoping for a big rollout and strong traffic, especially given Zone One’s popularity. It’s only been a week, so I’ll give it a month to see how things progress. The success of Zone Wars will determine whether I continue this massive project or shift focus.
Looking ahead, I’ve learned what works in Horizon and how to streamline experiences. My goal is tomake things easier to understand and more engaging. I plan to create experiences and mini-games under the Battle for Steel City brand to build retention, grow an audience, and establish a universe that can sustain itself with community involvement.
This year, I plan to release Zone 2 and Zone 3, along with Zone Racing and an inner-city sport called Blitz Board. There will also be several cinematic story experiences, including rescue missions, defense missions, and the epic battle for Steel City.
Exciting times ahead—let’s see where this journey takes us!
