Gamers who had been hoping for The Last of Us Part 2 to add a multiplayer mode almost got that with a fan-made mod that was set to release soon, but Sony forced the developer to shut down the project. The Last of Us Part 2 is a single-player game at its core, but the series has dabbled in multiplayer gameplay before with Part 1‘s Factions mode. Factions gained a dedicated following, and many longtime The Last of Us fans have been hoping that Naughty Dog would eventually bring the mode back in some way.
To Naughty Dog’s credit, the developer tried to bring a multiplayer game to life that was set in The Last of Us‘ bleak post-apocalyptic world. However, instead of another version of Factions, the studio was going to take multiplayer a step further with a standalone spin-off with The Last of Us Online. It was a surprising announcement when Neil Druckmann first made the reveal, and there were plenty of fans excited, or at least curious, about the project. Unfortunately, The Last of Us Online was canceled before Naughty Dog was even able to showcase any actual gameplay, and an anticipated fan-made mod has now met the same fate.
At This Rate, The Last of Us Part 2 Simply Doesn’t Seem Destined to Have Multiplayer
The person behind The Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mod was known as Speclizer, and they recently took to Twitter to announce that after months of work, the project would not make it to launch. Speclizer claims that Sony sent a letter asking that the mod not be released. At this point, Speclizer’s hands are tied, otherwise Sony could enact serious legal action against the modder.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Speclizer had been working on the mod since January of this year and had released gameplay sneak peeks online to help drum up hype for the project. With so many The Last of Us fans eager for a multiplayer mode, it didn’t take long for gamers to get excited about the project. Even earlier this year, there was a petition to revive The Last of Us Online. This is something that a lot of fans have been begging for, and Sony canceling the fan-made project has made gamers even angrier at the company.
It Looks Like Sony Is on a Speedrun to Make People Mad
Granted, Sony at least has a reason behind canceling the project. Speclizer allowed early mod access to Patreon subscribers, which technically means that they were charging money for another company’s IP. So, Speclizer made a big mistake by adding monetization into the equation, but Sony putting an end to the project still feels excessive. A slap on the wrist in the form of making Speclizer stop the early access payments probably would have sufficed. Also, Sony shutting down Speclizer’s mod when its scheduled launch date was right around the corner rubs salt in the wound.
What makes The Last of Us Online‘s cancellation even more upsetting to so many fans is that game director Vinit Agarwal claimed that the game was already 80% complete before the plug was pulled.
Apart from the controversy that this mod cancellation has caused, Sony and PlayStation cutting ties with Hideo Kojima and his Physint project and announcing the end of physical disc production after January 2028 has got the company in hot water with many customers. The frustration doesn’t stop there, though. Other decisions, like ending Destiny 2 support, and doubling down on live-service projects after many of them have ended up getting canceled have left fans worried about PlayStation’s future.
Speclizer’s The Last of Us Part 2 Mod Could Have Been a Golden Opportunity for Sony
Even though Speclizer’s early access paywall was a bad move on the dev’s part, the mod could have potentially worked wonders for Sony. There’s no way to know for sure, but there is a decent chance that an unofficial multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part 2 on PC could have bumped up sales on the platform. Of course, it more than likely wouldn’t have made any serious financial waves, but money is money.
Sony stopping PC ports for its single-player games has been a divisive decision. Many gamers were excited about Sony expanding its audience, but only a few of the company’s major releases got to enjoy the PC port treatment before pulling the plug on the program. The Last of Us Part 2 getting a multiplayer mod would have been incredibly enticing, though. Sony would have benefited from the mod without even having to do any work.
The Last of Us Franchise Is Stuck in Limbo With No Clear End in Sight
It’s hard to believe that it has now been six years since The Last of Us Part 2 originally launched. In those years, the only games that Naughty Dog has brought forth were remasters of Part 1 and Part 2. The next game that the studio has in line is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a bold-looking space adventure that was revealed at the 2024 Game Awards. This project looks compelling, but the fact that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet‘s release date is still under wraps two years after its announcement is also just as frustrating as no new The Last of Us games on the horizon.
Just like The Last of Us games, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet has a solid cast confirmed to help bring the story to life. Protagonist Jordan A. Mun is played by Tati Gabrielle, while the supporting cast features actors like Kumail Nanjiani, Tony Dalton, and of course, Troy Baker.
Speclizer’s mod could have revamped The Last of Us Part 2 in an incredibly exciting way, which makes the whole situation sting that much more. On the bright side, Naughty Dog recently teased that new The Last of Us projects are currently being worked on, but it remains to be seen exactly what these projects are. A “project” could mean anything from a new comic book story art to a spin-off game. Only time will tell, but multiplayer will hopefully be part of The Last of Us franchise some day.
- Released
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June 19, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
