In a recent announcement, Naughty Dog has officially confirmed the cancellation of The Last of Us Online, also known as The Last of Multiplayer or The Last of Us Factions. Despite a brief glimmer of hope given to fans by one of the game’s creators last month, it has now been revealed that the project is indeed shelved.

The limited information released about The Last of Us Online since its official revelation in June 2022 had left fans eagerly awaiting updates. While some concept graphics surfaced earlier in the year, persistent and credible rumors of the project’s troubles continued to circulate. The recent confirmation by Naughty Dog has put an end to any lingering hopes of its revival.

The decision to discontinue The Last of Us Online appears to stem partly from insights shared by Bungie after reviewing the project and its future plans. Naughty Dog explained their choice, stating, “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.”

The studio faced a critical choice: transform into a solely live service games studio or maintain their focus on the single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s legacy. Ultimately, they opted against dedicating the majority of their developers to supporting a live service game, especially given the apparent waning interest from Playstation Studios in such concepts.

Although The Last of Us Online will not see the light of day, Naughty Dog assures fans that the efforts invested in the project were not in vain. The experience gained will likely contribute to improvements in their graphics engine, production planning, and the development of innovative game mechanics—all of which will benefit their future single-player games. Nevertheless, the news is undoubtedly disappointing for those who had been anticipating the release of The Last of Us Factions with its promised semi-open world.

Source: Game Rant