Developers of Canceled Last of Us Game Working on Their Own Multiplayer Title

It’s been nearly two years since The Last of Us Online was officially canceled. This ambitious online multiplayer project would have been a beefed-up version of the Factions mode from the first Last of Us game. Alas, Naughty Dog ultimately axed the project due to the sheer amount of support the live service model would’ve required. But now, two of the developers behind the project have confirmed they’re working on something new.

In a recent interview with GameSpark, two former Naughty Dog employees confirmed they’ve been working together on a new project for several months. Former Naughty Dog Game Director Vinit Agarwal and former Creative Director Joe Pettinati teamed up to create their own studio. Now, they are working on a game with a similar multiplayer premise to The Last of Us Online. Gamers who were excited about the potential of a game based on Factions may want to keep an eye out for more info on this project.

In his interview with GameSpark, Agarwal explicitly referenced The Last of Us multiplayer mode as a big inspiration. After working on the now-canceled spinoff, Agarwal has teamed up with Pettinati to work on a new online multiplayer game with a similar concept.

What We Know About the New Multiplayer Game from Former Naughty Dog Devs

The new project is still in the early stages, so the devs aren’t ready to reveal too much yet. However, Agarwal told GameSpark that the project is in a playable state. It will be a multiplayer game with action-based gameplay that leans on cinematics. The project is from a newly formed indie studio, with just about 10 developers working on the game. Eventually, the studio hopes to grow to bring in more employees for its Japan and US offices. However, they plan to keep the operation small to help reduce costs.

Given that The Last of Us Online is canceled, this new game will not utilize any IP from the series. Instead, it will probably be a new IP created by the studio, though that has not been explicitly confirmed. But the gameplay may well be familiar to those who enjoyed Factions in The Last of Us, given that Agarwal has explicitly said the new project is similar.

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From the sounds of it, it draws inspiration from the concept behind The Last of Us Online. Based on what we’ve seen via leaks of development materials, that game would’ve featured a lobby, battle pass, and a free-to-play model with in-game purchases. It’s likely that the new game in process will incorporate similar elements.

Since the project is in its early stages, it’s hard to say when it will be officially revealed. But The Last of Us fans who were looking forward to the multiplayer online game will certainly want to keep an eye out for more info in the coming months.

What do you think about a new game by the team behind The Last of Us Online? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.