The Last of Us has experienced a surge in popularity following the release of the TV show. Fans have been eagerly anticipating the upcoming Part Two remaster for more thrilling gameplay. However, it seems that one of the highly anticipated games in The Last of Us franchise will never see the light of day.
The Last of Us Online: A Cancelled Multiplayer Game
The next installment in The Last of Us series was supposed to be a multiplayer game called The Last of Us Online. Unfortunately, the project has recently been cancelled due to the extensive post-launch work it would require. Developer Naughty Dog has stated that pursuing this project would have transformed the studio into a solely live service games studio, which goes against their usual focus on single-player story-driven games.
According to a statement from Naughty Dog, "In ramping up to full production, the massive scope of our ambition became clear. To release and support The Last of Us Online, we’d have to put all our studio resources behind supporting post-launch content for years to come, severely impacting development on future single-player games. So, we had two paths in front of us: become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage."
Naughty Dog has not provided specific details about the other projects they will be working on, but they have assured fans that there are more big single-player projects in the pipeline.
A Lesson from History
Games that transition from a single-player focus to the live service model have not historically performed well. An example of this is the Suicide Squad game from Rocksteady, which faced significant delays and negative reviews after the release of its first trailer. The development team had to rework the game to address the concerns raised.
It's clear that Naughty Dog wants to stay true to their roots and continue delivering top-notch single-player narrative experiences. While fans may be disappointed about The Last of Us Online being cancelled, they can look forward to future projects that will showcase the studio's storytelling prowess.
To stay up-to-date with PlayStation news, be sure to check out the games coming to PS Plus in December.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
