The multiplayer spin-off to The Last of Us will be further delayed for now. According to a report, there are problems with the development.
Naughty Dog has been working on a multiplayer game set in the universe of The Last of Us for a while now. However, we won”t get to see the project for now after the developer studio officially confirmed an internal postponement.
This isn”t the only bad news though: According to a report from Bloomberg, the team behind the multiplayer game has been significantly downsized and many of the developers responsible are now working on other projects. At least the new game was not discontinued after The Last of Us: Part 1 and Part 2
Bad News from the Mushroom Kingdom
What the developers are saying: On (Twitter) Naughty Dog announced that we won”t be seeing the multiplayer game for The Last of Us for the time being. Development on it will continue and the team is proud of what they have achieved so far, but the project simply needs more time, according to the statement.
– Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) May 26, 2023
This is what Bloomberg says: Shortly after that (Jason Schreier published a report) that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Last of Us multiplayer. For example, Naughty Dog is said to have sought feedback from Bungie – the studio behind Destiny 2 and the newly announced shooter Marathon – which criticises the potential longevity of the project.
Shall mean: In its current state, players might lack long-term motivation to stick with the multiplayer game. At the same time, the team working on the Last of Us spin-off has apparently been downsized, while employees are now working on other projects.
The multiplayer game was originally planned as part of The Last of Us: Part 2, but will now be released as a standalone project. Despite the multiplayer focus, Naughty Dog wants to tell a story with new characters, according to official concept drawings it could go to San Francisco, among other places. According to rumours, we could expect PvPvE gameplay à la Escape from Tarkov
By the way, there is still one interesting piece of news: Naughty Dog let it slip in the official statement that they are currently working on a new single player game. However, we can only speculate about what it will be. Many fans would hope for a The Last of Us: Part 3 – but in this respect you should be patient for the time being.
What are your hopes and expectations for the planned multiplayer game for The Last of Us? Are you looking forward to Naughty Dog”s project or would you rather see a classic single player experience? Would you like to see a proper sequel to the story of Ellie or could you do without it? Let us know in the comments!