Naughty Dog has today shared the news its The Last of Us Multiplayer project has been officially cancelled. A post on the developer’s official website states: “We’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to stop development on that game.”
It continues: “We know this news will be tough for many, especially our dedicated The Last of Us Factions community, who have been following our multiplayer ambitions ardently. We’re equally crushed at the studio as we were looking forward to putting it in your hands.” It’s then explained that the full scope of the project was only realised when it entered full production, to the point where the developer could only choose one of two paths: “Become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage.”
The Uncharted studio has chosen the latter, and so its live-service The Last of Us game is no more. “We are immensely proud of everyone at the studio that touched this project. The learnings and investments in technology from this game will carry into how we develop our projects and will be invaluable in the direction we are headed as a studio.”
Naughty Dog ends the post by confirming it has “more than one ambitious, brand new single player game” in the works and it “cannot wait to share more about what comes next when we’re ready”.
This represents another setback for Sony’s push into the live-service space, as many of its mostly unannounced efforts have been delayed. Concord and Fairgame$ weren’t met with much enthusiasm upon their reveal, and Bungie — the developer bought to lead the platform holder’s “live-service centre of excellence” — is doing worse than ever with layoffs and an unhappy community. How do you react to this news? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.