Naughty Dog drops 'The Last of Us: Factions' to focus on single-play games, jeopardizing online gaming expansion
The Last of Us has garnered such popularity that it has even inspired its own TV adaptation. With the anticipation of a second season, one could question: what else would fans want? Certainly, the prospect of The Last of Us Online would be warmly welcomed by many players.
1:21 PM EST, December 15, 2023
Everything was on track, with The Last of Us: Factions in the preproduction phase. However, the Naughty Dog studio has taken the decision to halt the network version of the game. This development was announced in an official studio statement, highlighting a specific reason behind this decision.
Good news and bad news
Before diving into the disappointing news, let's discuss a positive update. The studio's statement points out that Naughty Dog is in the process of developing various projects. Specifically, they are working on "more than one ambitious, completely new single-player game". While we look forward to hearing more about these developments in the future, it is unlikely that they will go unnoticed by avid gamers.
The bad news lies with the network version of The Last of Us. The studio has decided to stop development, as they express that for a network game, they would have to "invest all studio resources into supporting post-release content for many years. This could seriously impact the development of future solo player games".
In a nutshell, the decision came down to two options: focusing on games as a service, or narrative single-player productions. Naughty Dog chooses the latter, affirming that this choice "defines the legacy of Naughty Dog".
