The Last of Us Online Was Set to Be Revealed 24 Hours Before Its Cancellation

The Last of Us Online, also known as The Last of Us Factions, was cancelled by Naughty Dog back in 2023. The game was almost completed, and this announcement has made fans disappointed. We have figured out more details about Faction’s cancellation, including how exactly the studio decided to abandon the project.

The Last of Us Online director, Vinit Agarwal, has spoken to Lance E. Lee on his YouTube channel, Lance E. Lee Podcast from Tokyo, where he revealed some astonishing details about the launch of multiplayer The Last of Us. He confirmed that the title was in active development for 7 years and was completed for about 80%. But what’s more exciting is that the studio decided to cancel The Last of Us Online 24 hours before they planned to officially unveil the game. According to Agarwal, Naughty Dog has made this decision to focus on single-player titles, but this was a “devastating and soul-crushing moment” for him.

Initially, The Last of Us Online was planned as an expansion for The Last of Us: Part II, but soon the studio decided to make it a standalone project. We have seen clips of The Last of Us Factions early version, and even at that moment, the game looked promising and exciting. Unfortunately, it will never see the light of day.

After Naughty Dog decided to focus on single-player titles due to The Last of Us Online cancellation, at The Game Awards 2024, the studio announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, their new IP, which is still in development and doesn’t have a release date. There are also rumors that The Last of Us: Part III is in development, and a recent post from Neil Druckmann, the director of Naughty Dog, has given fans another light of hope. Who knows, maybe the third installment will include a multiplayer mode using technological developments from Factions.

Are you disappointed Naughty Dog decided to cancel The Last of Us Online? Share your thoughts in the comments below!