In perhaps the least expected way, The Last of Us multiplayer game director has confirmed that the title is still actively in development, contrary to rumors.
Naughty Dog’s game director Vinit Agarwal stated that he is still working on a highly anticipated game, likely referring to The Last of Us multiplayer game. The comment came in a somewhat surprising way, as Agarwal mentioned it in an X (formerly Twitter) post in which he shared he just had accomplished the feat of completing all the Special World courses of the new Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
“And so this tweet can live on in peace… yes, I’m still working on that game,” said the game director, in reference to possible complaints from fans who are still waiting for new updates on the next project in the famous Naughty Dog game series. He did not comment further on the specifics of the current development stage of the project. However, in his bio description, Agarwal still states that he is the director of “The Last of Us online project.”
Throughout the year, rumors of the cancelation of the multiplayer game based on the universe of The Last of Us began to circulate in February after journalist and Bloomberg insider Jason Schreier revealed staff cuts in the team in charge of the project. Naughty Dog then announced that it would be necessary to “give more time” to the development of the new game.
Many fans believed this news would mean not only delays in the game’s release but that the project would be frozen or even completely canceled behind closed doors. Teams at Naughty Dog have also been affected by a series of industry-wide layoffs, as the company announced plans to lay off up to 25 of its developers by the end of October.
Very little is yet known about The Last of Us multiplayer project. It is planned to be an online experience, following the legacy of the Factions mode present in the first game of the series that was removed for Part II. Reportedly, this new game will also be free-to-play, with monetization models offering extra content for players after launch.
The Last of Us multiplayer does not currently have a concrete release date.
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
