"The Last of Us" Multiplayer Was 80% Done

Key Points:

• Naughty Dog cancelled its live service multiplayer game in "The Last of Us" franchise, internally known as "The Last of Us Online" or "Factions," due to resource constraints and a strategic shift away from live service titles under former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan.
• The multiplayer project was nearly 80% complete after nearly seven years of development (2016-2023), but was ultimately sacrificed to prioritize new single-player games, which are core to Naughty Dog’s reputation.
• The cancellation decision was influenced by Sony's initial heavy investment in live service games around 2020 during the COVID pandemic, followed by a pullback after several high-profile live service failures and loosening pandemic restrictions.
• Vinit Agarwal, the former multiplayer director, described the cancellation as a "devastating" and "soul-crushing" moment, learning about it only 24 hours before the public announcement.
• Fans speculate whether elements of the cancelled multiplayer project might be integrated into a potential third installment of "The Last of Us" series, which has been teased but not officially confirmed.