The Last of Us multiplayer title delayed; Naughty Dog working on a new single-player game
Back at Summer Games Fest 2022, Naughty Dog announced a new multiplayer Last of Us game alongside the PC port of the first game's remake. Few details were given, just that it began as a mode for The Last of Us Part II, but eventually outgrew that to become its own title. It appears now, however, it is being scaled back down, as Naughty Dog redirects resources elsewhere and reassesses the viability of the live service.
Naughty Dog confirmed the delay on Twitter, writing that the game needed more time and they would continue developing the project alongside "other games...including a brand-new single-player experience." They did not confirm if the new game is related to previous IPs or if it will be wholly original.
Sources speaking to Bloomberg have reported that the delay was prompted by Sony themselves. Sony purchased Bungie early last year, in part, to work on their upcoming slate of live-service games, and asked Bungie to evaluate the live-service titles in development. Bungie questioned the long-term viability of the project, which led to Naughty Dog scaling it back and reassigning some staff.
