The Last of Us Multiplayer Game Has Been Cancelled, Naughty Dog Confirms
The Last of Us multiplayer game has been cancelled. In a blog post, developer Naughty Dog confirmed that the development on the promised online experience within the post-apocalyptic universe, which it was calling ‘The Last of Us Online,' has been stopped. The astonishing news comes just a month after game director Vinit Agarwal assured fans that the project was still happening despite the numerous reported setbacks, including the laying off of 25 employees. One can't simply release a live-service game into the wild and expect it to thrive. It desperately needs post-launch content for years to come, indirectly impacting a studio which is otherwise known 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 post 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 had to pick between two choices: become a live-service studio and feed into Sony PlayStation's long-term monopoly-making plan (crafted by Jim Ryan) or focus on what the team is good at and create well-received story games. Clearly, the developer chose the latter path and has claimed that it's got multiple titles in the works — one of which is presumed to be The Last of Us Part III.
An Update on The Last of Us Online: https://t.co/nMUm7TmH9h pic.twitter.com/fmuXCLzDMB
This change in gears goes in line with a report from May, where Naughty Dog scaled back development on The
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