‘The Last of Us’: multiplayer version is canceled – 12/15/2023 – Tech

The studio responsible for the popular game “The Last of Us”, Naughty Dog, announced this Thursday (14) the cancellation of the multiplayer version of the game, which was highly anticipated by fans.

“Many of you have been waiting for news about the project we were calling The Last of Us Online. There is no easy way to say this. We have made the incredibly difficult decision to stop development on this game,” the developer said.

The studio stated that the decision was made after realizing that it would be necessary to commit resources “for years on end”, to the detriment of future single-player games.

With the situation, Naughty Dog stated that there would be two options: “become an exclusively multiplayer online game studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage.” The studio opted for the second alternative.

Work on “The Last of Us Online” began at the same time that Naughty Dog began development on the game’s sequel. “The Last of Us Part II” was released in 2020, while the multiplayer version remained in development.

Fans of the game speculated that the creation of “The Last of Us Online” was in trouble after the developer shared an update in May.

“We’re incredibly proud of the work our studio has done so far, but as development has continued, we’ve realized that what’s best for the game is to give it more time,” the update read at the time.

“The Last of Us” had its first game released in 2013 and is based on the story of two characters who fight to survive in an apocalyptic scenario. Joel lost his daughter who was murdered by the military and, many years later, he had the mission of taking a teenager named Ellie to the place where a group was hiding that was fighting the military and also those infected with the fungus called Cordyceps.

The game was a success and, seven years later, the second part was released, which recorded sales records at the time. In 2023, HBO launched the series “The Last of Us” based on the game, which starred Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, receiving more than 20 Emmy nominations.

The death of “The Last of Us Online” was a particular disappointment for fans of “The Last of Us Factions,” an online multiplayer experience limited only to some versions of the first part of “The Last of Us.”

Naughty Dog’s announcement generated different reactions from the online gaming community. Some agreed that the studio was correct to focus on new single-player games, while others questioned the studio’s apparent lack of vision.