Recent reports claim that the development of Naughty Dog’s planned standalone The Last of Us multiplayer was dead following QA team layoffs, though we haven’t gotten any official confirmation from the studio or PlayStation yet. Assuming that the project is still in development, the LinkedIn profile of a former Naughty Dog employee suggests that the game could feature 40 player lobbies.
As reported by Gaming Bolt, the LinkedIn profile of Ian Blake, a former associate game designer at Naughty Dog, reveals some details about a secret multiplayer title that he was working on while at the PlayStation studio. Unless Naughty Dog has another multiplayer game in development, it’s safe to assume that this is referring to the multiplayer for The Last of Us.
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In Blake’s description, the game designer states:
“Designed and implemented several systems and set pieces and refined them through regular playtests and feedback. Worked in a dedicated host environment, designing and optimizing for up to 40 clients.”
Hosting up to 40 players suggests that The Last of Us multiplayer game could be quite an ambitious one compared to its previous Factions mode, supporting dozens of players at once on a presumably large map (or maps). Unfortunately since the reports about the game’s quiet cancellation surfaced, it’s hard to be excited about the project without knowing if it’s still on Naughty Dog’s schedule or if the studio has shifted its resources over to its stronger single-player offerings.
As for what’s next from the acclaimed developer, it’s anyone’s guess. Some reports suggest that the company is currently working on The Last of Us Part 3 while others think that it may be working on a new IP that was teased through The Last of Us Part I. This fantasy-themed adventure game was teased as far back as January 2021.
Source: Gaming Bolt