PlayStation has quietly cancelled an upcoming exclusive title.
One source reports that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game has been cancelled entirely despite reports.
Naughty Dog has had an eventful year when it comes to gaming output. HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us proved immensely popular; however, The Last of Us Part I’s PC release proved disastrous due to bugs and glitches, which rendered the game unplayable for so many. Then, The Last of Us multiplayer project had initially planned for release this summer but was unexpectedly put back. Since then, they confirmed they’re working on a new single-player project – with one insider suggesting Mass Effect-esque new IP creation as well as The Last of Us Part III + Remaster release as potential projects; simultaneously, we learn more details regarding its fate as compared with that upcoming multiplayer project due this summer.
The Last of Us multiplayer was expected to debut during Sony’s summer PlayStation Showcase; however, we only saw concept art. Naughty Dog issued a statement later that month saying they believe more time should be allowed for development; reports stated that fellow studio Bungie raised concerns regarding its longevity during an external review process.
Bloomberg then suggested the team had been reduced, with reports in recent days alleging the game is “on hold” yet not wholly cancelled; Naughty Dog also recently laid off contracted staff; principal monetisation designer Anders Howard from Epic had left Naughty Dog by then too, suggesting they may no longer work together on it.
Now, insider ViewerAnon has claimed the game has been cancelled outright, tweeting out, “It’s dead!” ViewerAnon first leaked early details for Part III via an anonymous leak, yet these may or may not be accurate; take all this with a grain of salt – though all evidence points towards cancellation of this sequel game.
Unfortunately, Naughty Dog fans haven’t received an original game since 2020 – something which seems likely if remastered Part II releases are next on their schedule. We will keep an eye out for any further announcements regarding this matter.
