The Last of Us Factions was an online multiplayer mode originally introduced in the PlayStation 3 version of the game. Despite the quality and clunky gameplay, the gaming community fell in love with the competitive nature of the online multiplayer paired with great gameplay mechanics.
It would make sense for the developers to continue this successful endeavor with a worthy follow-up, however, the team ultimately decided to put Factions 2 on hold and not pack it with the controversial sequel and instead expand the lore with an ambitious structure that will never see the light of day.
The Last of Us Factions Is a Victim of Internal Disagreements
Sony Interactive Entertainment is pushing its luck a little too far with the online multiplayer side of gaming. The company reportedly denied Bend Studio permission to work on a Days Gone sequel and has given the studio a quarter of a billion dollars to work on an online multiplayer game that had a negative reception at launch, while pulling the plug on The Last of Us Factions project.
Some fans are baffled by the decision to cancel a nearly finished project that takes place within one of the biggest names in the game industry. The company also acquired Bungie, which was known for developing multiplayer games like Destiny in the past, and the studio serves as a consultant for internal projects. There was probably some internal discourse between the two studios after the initial evaluation.
I seriously feel like they just didn't like the idea of answering to Bungie so they just canned the entire project
— Jivesh (@Jivesh1995) July 22, 2024
Other fans like to believe that Naughty Dog is uncomfortable with other studios coming in and giving feedback on how to operate their games and canceling the project out of spite. There is no solid proof to these claims and all purely speculation but not entirely impossible.
The cancellation of the multiplayer project added more anxiety to fans waiting for the studio to release new content. The developers released a handful of remakes and remasters of Uncharted and The Last of Us games but have yet to release or announce a current-generation title.
The Last of Us Factions Would Have Been a Major Risk for the Studio
There is also the possibility that the studio is working on a new IP or another sequel. Near the end of the Grounded 2 documentary, director Neil Druckmann hinted that there is one more chapter after The Last of Us Part 2, and celebrating the fourth anniversary of Part 2, the director hinted that a sequel could be well underway.
Naughty Dog is no stranger to multiplayer and has done well in the past with Uncharted but never on the scale as Bungie. Perhaps the Destiny 2 developers’ input was too big of a demand and the studio could not risk dividing its attention and resources.
Some fans speculate that a contest of ego and talent happened behind the scenes. Regardless, the studio pulled the plug on the live service project for reasons unknown and those reasons remain unclear
The game industry is over-saturated with great multiplayer games and it is best to take the advice of one of the leading developers into account. The game would likely fail and could ruin the developer’s track record.
Are you still upset about The Last of Us multiplayer getting canceled? Let us know in the comments section below!
