Early Multiplayer Mod Brings The Last Of Us Back Into Shared Play

I have followed The Last of Us for years, and the absence of an official multiplayer mode after Factions never stopped fans from asking what could have been. That gap has now been filled, briefly and unofficially, by a PC mod that shows two players running through the same world in The Last of Us Part II Remastered. The footage is limited, but it is real, functional, and already drawing attention.

The project comes from video game modder and YouTuber Speclizer, who posted short clips of what is described as a multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II on PC. The footage does not show combat or structured matches. Instead, it shows proof that two players can exist in the same session at the same time, which has always been the hardest barrier for this kind of game. Speclizer clarified in replies that the project is focused on PvP only, noting that adding NPCs significantly complicates development.

What I saw in the clip is simple but telling. Two players control separate versions of Ellie during the early Seattle exploration segment, shortly after Ellie and Dina arrive in the city. This area is one of the most open sections of the game, with several city blocks available and minimal forced encounters. Both Ellies move independently through the space, wearing different outfits tied to separate points in the story. That visual distinction matters because it confirms the game can track two characters as separate entities rather than mirrored animations.

Much of the movement appears designed for testing rather than play. Both characters float briefly in seated positions, legs crossed, likely triggered by console commands or early mod tools. There is frequent crouching and repositioning, which suggests synchronization checks between the two players’ sessions. Nothing in the clip resembles a finished mode, but the foundation is there. Two inputs. Two positions. One shared world.

This matters because Factions remains one of Naughty Dog’s most requested features. The original multiplayer mode combined scavenging, crafting, and tense PvP rounds without losing the tone of the single-player game. Its canceled successor became one of the industry’s most discussed “what if” projects. The studio never replaced it, and The Last of Us Part II shipped without any multiplayer component at all.

Fan reaction to the mod reflects that long-standing frustration and interest. The replies under Speclizer’s post range from technical questions to open excitement, even though the footage shows no shooting, no objectives, and no progression systems. One reaction summed up the mood clearly.

“TLOU2 with factions would be siiiiiick.”— Comment on Speclizer’s post

Another response pointed directly at the missed opportunity many players still feel.

“Naughty Dog dropped the ball big time with this game.”— Comment on Speclizer’s post

I don’t read this mod as a replacement for what was canceled. It is too early, too limited, and too dependent on PC-specific tools to serve that role. What it does show is that interest has not faded and that the game’s systems still invite experimentation. Even without combat, the shared movement alone reframes how players imagine The Last of Us working as a multiplayer experience.

There is no release timeline, no confirmation of public builds, and no promise beyond PvP testing. Still, seeing two players occupy the same ruined streets of Seattle feels like a door reopening, even if only a crack. For a series that once made multiplayer feel essential rather than optional, that is enough to get attention.

Read also: The Last Of Us director Bruce Straley recently drew a firm line against generative AI in art and games, rejecting it as a creative shortcut that misunderstands how meaningful work is made.