It seems the story isn’t quite over when it comes to The Last Of Us multiplayer.
As reported on Video Games Chronicle, one Naughty Dog employee confirmed on Twitter that he is still working on the game. Vinit Agarwal, who lists himself as a producer at Naughty Dog, casually reveals that “yes, I’m still working on that game.”
We have reported on much rumors and speculation regarding this game. As a reminder, the official word comes from Naughty Dog. As of May 2023 Naughty Dog simply tweeted that they are giving the game ‘more time.’ They have still not shared a code name or official title for this game, and the also did not share a date or window for release, or for when they would reveal more.
Some of the speculation on this game is that it has been effectively cancelled, so this hint douses water on that rumor. Still, this gives the public little to no idea on how much longer they will have to wait to learn more about this game, much less how long before they will get to play it.
The most notorious rumor around this game, which some press have tentatively codenamed The Last Of Us Factions, is that Bungie was asked to consult on the game in progress, and they told Sony that the game was not ready. We have reported on a different rumor, but assuming this initial rumor is correct, it suggests that Bungie would be part of the game’s development moving forward.
So it may be the case that Naughty Dog is in the phase where they are working on prototypes, or refining an earlier version of the game, while Bungie is continuing to consult, and perhaps directing Naughty Dog on where they need to go.
Fans looking forward to getting this game within this console generation should check their expectations on this regard. The pace of game development is such that the minimum expected time for game development nowadays has extended from three to five years, and it’s absolutely credible that certain games have timetables of as long as ten years for development.
We also know that Sony’s plans to transition to live service have not been working out thus far. Outside of rumors that the company is taking back those plans, none of the announced and confirmed live service games have been released or even gone on Early Access/public beta yet.
In spite of all the uncertainty, and reported firings over The Last Of Us Factions, at least hope remains that we could see this game release someday.
