Why Naughty Dog Had to Cancel The Last of Us Online

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Despite no official confirmation about The Last of Us Part III, some enthusiasts speculated that Naughty Dog might unveil an online adaptation of The Last of Us, which they imagined could be an enhancement to Factions.

Ultimately, the game had to be called off, though we discovered later that it was intentionally set aside so that Naughty Dog could develop their new, original intellectual property instead.

Why The Last of Us Online Was Canceled

In a recent conversation with Sacred Symbols (through PushSquare), ex-PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida admitted that he experienced The Last of Us Online and found it fantastic. However, if Naughty Dog had pursued the creation of an online service game, they would have needed to forgo their forthcoming unique IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet—and it appears they opted for Intergalactic instead.

As a gamer, I’ve learned that the concept behind The Last of Us Online was brainstormed by Naughty Dog. They were eager to bring it to life, but then Bungie, who had experience with live service games like Destiny, shared their insights about the demands and complexities of such projects. Realizing that if they embarked on this journey, they’d have to sacrifice Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog made a tough call and decided to focus on the latter instead, recognizing their lack of foresight in the process.

What Was The Last of Us Online?

Though The Last of Us Online wasn’t officially unveiled with a sneak peek, enthusiasts generally thought it might resemble an upgraded version of TLOU: Factions, but with the playstyle elements taken from The Last of Us Part II.

In the first game, Factions had a team setup where each player possessed unique skills that mirrored Joel’s versatility from The Last of Us. For the sequel, I was hoping they would distribute these abilities between Ellie and Abby’s characters, allowing for diverse playstyles. Additionally, I envisioned that side characters like Joel, Tommy, Dina, Owen, and others might each have their own distinct builds within the narrative.

Legends are typically derived from major game releases (AAA titles), and in these spin-offs, players can choose among four distinct character classes. Each class possesses a subset of abilities that are similar to those found within Jin Sakai’s comprehensive skill set.

Can The Last of Us Online Still Happen?

Given the recent issues with live-action games such as MultiVersus and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, it seems wise that Naughty Dog opted for developing an original intellectual property rather than a live-service spinoff.

It appears as though The Last of Us Online may already have plans in place, waiting for the right moment to be revived. This might happen once development on The Last of Us Part III commences, which could still be several years down the line if Intergalactic proves to be a success.

In the best-case scenario, they might employ The Last of Us Online to maintain enthusiasm among fans regarding the universe of The Last of Us while they’re finalizing Part III. It’s likely to keep them content for about a year, but that’s merely an estimation based on how effectively Naughty Dog can optimize it as a live-service game.

While a definite launch date for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet hasn’t been disclosed yet, enthusiasts are crossing their fingers that it might be released on PlayStation 5 by the end of this year.

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2025-02-20 13:12