The Last of Us multiplayer sport has been cancelled. In a weblog submit, developer Naughty Dog confirmed that the event on the promised on-line expertise throughout the post-apocalyptic universe, which it was calling ‘The Last of Us Online,’ has been stopped. The astonishing information comes only a month after sport director Vinit Agarwal assured followers that the mission was nonetheless taking place regardless of the quite a few reported setbacks, together with the shedding of 25 workers. One cannot merely launch a live-service sport into the wild and anticipate it to thrive. It desperately wants post-launch content material for years to come back, not directly impacting a studio which is in any other case identified for creating memorable single-player narratives.
“The multiplayer team has been in pre-production with this game since we were working on The Last of Us Part II — crafting an experience we felt was unique and had tremendous potential,” the submit reads. “As the multiplayer team iterated on their concept for The Last of Us Online during this time, their vision crystalized, the gameplay got more refined and satisfying, and we were enthusiastic about the direction in which we were headed.” Naughty Dog then needed to choose between two decisions: grow to be a live-service studio and feed into Sony PlayStation’s long-term monopoly-making plan (crafted by Jim Ryan) or give attention to what the staff is nice at and create well-received story video games. Clearly, the developer selected the latter path and has claimed that it is acquired a number of titles within the works — one of which is presumed to be The Last of Us Part III.
This change in gears goes according to a report from May, the place Naughty Dog scaled again growth on The Last of Us Online, to reassess its high quality and long-term viability as the large process at hand grew to become clearer. You see, Sony acquired Destiny maker Bungie to guage its live-service slate and it introduced up some considerations concerning TLOU multiplayer’s potential to maintain gamers engaged for a protracted interval. No gameplay footage was ever launched to the general public eye and all we acquired was an announcement through the Summer Game Fest 2022 and a few idea artwork for the disease-ridden world, which is reminiscent of San Franciso — an space reduce off from the principle storyline to introduce a number of new NPCs. It began life as an extra sport mode for The Last of Us Part 2 however was then separated to flourish as its personal factor with excessive ambitions.
Last month, Sony halved the quantity of live-service video games it deliberate to launch by March 2026 — happening from 12 to 6 titles — although it is unclear whether or not that depend included The Last of Us Online. Meanwhile, The Last of Us Part II is getting a remaster on January 19, that includes enhancements for the PS5 and a roguelite mode pitting you into randomised encounters in opposition to determined survivors and the contaminated, as you play as acquainted characters from the franchise, together with Joel, Ellie, and Abby.
