In June 2022, Naughty Dog announced the ‘remake’ The Last of Us Part I for PS5 and PC. In turn, they revealed the development of a multiplayer title for the current generation based on the popular franchise. Internally known as The Last of Us Online and with a view to launching in 2023, in May of this year Naughty Dog published a statement in which they reported that the game would need more time. Apparently, Sony sought advice from Bungie, developers of Destiny 2. They wanted TLoUO would have the same scope as a game as a service. Apparently they were not convinced and decided to cancel the game.
What happened to multiplayer The Last of Us Online?
In a new statement, the study explained the decision.
“We know this news is difficult for many, especially our dedicated community The Last of Us Factions, who have followed our multiplayer ambitions fervently. We are equally devastated at the studio by what we hoped to put in your hands. The multiplayer team has been in pre-production on this game since we were working on The Last of Us Part II. Creating an experience that we felt was unique and had tremendous potential.
As the team worked on their concept to The Last of Us Online During this time, his vision crystallized, the gameplay becoming more refined and satisfying. We were excited about the direction we were heading. On the road to full production, the level of our massive ambition became clear. To throw and endure The Last of us Online, we had to put all the resources of our studio and maintain constant post-launch content for years. Thus impacting the development of our future single-player games.
We had two paths in front of us: be solely a games-as-a-service studio or continue to focus on games with narratives like those that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage..»
The Last of Us Online was originally planned as a multiplayer component for The Last of Us: Part II y later cut. The game was in development for two years and included new characters, several of them customizable due to its competitive online nature. In the style of the first multiplayer on PS3, players would join factions and fight for survival among barracks of violent humans and infected.
The location chosen for The Last of Us Online It was inspired by San Francisco. Although The Last of Us Part II Remastered will be released on PS5 January 19, 2024a possible The Last of Us Part III has not been fully confirmed por Naughty Dog.