Naughty Dog's Game Director Vinit Agarwal recently released a much-needed update on the status of The Last of Us Multiplayer development, proving repeated rumours regarding its cancellation.
Despite rumours and claims that the project had been cancelled, the director of The Last Of Us multiplayer game has assured fans that it is still very much in the works. He did not, however, provide any important new information.
Naughty Dog had promised to show more about The Last Of Us multiplayer spin-off beyond concept art at the start of the year. Fast forward to the end of 2023, and Naughty Dog's lone update is a request for more time, implying probable internal delays.
The friction within the company prompted by Sony's live service goals has added to the confusion, leading many to believe that Naughty Dog had abandoned its multiplayer project in favour of focusing on a new single-player game.
Over the weekend, the game's director, Vinit Agarwal, sought to reassure supporters that the project had not been cancelled and that he was still actively involved in its production. Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier claimed that Sony had "slowed down development" on the project, sparking rumours that it may be cancelled.
While Bloomberg's article is most likely correct, the director's comment provides much-needed relief for concerned fans. Naughty Dog has yet to officially comment on the game's end.
Naughty Dog's official Twitter account previously claimed,
"We know many of you have been looking forward to hearing more about our The Last of Us multiplayer game. We're incredibly proud of the work our studio has accomplished so far, but as development continued, we realized that the best course of action for the game is to allocate more time."
The statement continued,
"Our team will continue to work on the project, as well as our other games in development, including a brand new single-player experience; we look forward to sharing more soon."
While The Last Of Us multiplayer game was never officially labelled as a live service game, Naughty Dog's selection of a monetization director in 2022 clearly suggests that small transactions will be included.
However, live service games have lost some of their shine in recent years, with even Bungie facing issues as a result of Destiny 2's reducing earnings. This could have motivated Naughty Dog to reconsider its strategy hence the delay. Nonetheless, despite the project's initial announcement almost two years ago, its current condition remains unknown due to a lack of information.
Comments