The Last of Us multiplayer has been cancelled.

As the message from the developers says, it was extremely difficult for them to decide to stop the development of the so-called The Last of Us Online.

We know this news will be upsetting to many, especially our dedicated The Last of Us Factions community who have been closely following our multiplayer ambitions. We at the studio are equally as crushed as we've been looking forward to getting the game into your hands.

Production of the online branch began during the work on The Last of Us Part II. Initially, the team was creating a multiplayer mode for the sequel, but then decided to take on a separate project. At that time, Sony also began to show interest in gaming services.

According to the studio, The Last of Us Online had huge potential. Subsequently, experts improved the concept and presented a more coherent version of the gameplay, aimed at maximum player satisfaction. However, during the next stage of development, the team realized the true scale of the project, which Naughty Dog was not prepared for.

To release and support The Last of Us Online, we would have to devote all of the studio's resources to producing post-release content for several years. This would seriously influence the creation of future single-player games. So we had two options: become a service-game studio or remain single-minded?The story-driven titles that shaped Naughty Dog's legacy.