The Last of Us’ Multiplayer component to become a separate F2P game

Naughty Dog, the famous game studio mostly known for making the Uncharted and The Last of Us series of games, revealed that the Multiplayer game mode of The Last of Us is set to become a separate game, which would be a more ambitious project with more features and things to do, to warrant the additional price tag.

This was a while ago, and in the two years since we’ve had dead silence about how the project is going. There was a leak about a Battle-Royale-inspired map, back when Fortnite and PUBG were taking over the playtime charts. At the 2022 edition of the Summer Game Fest, series creator Neil Druckmann broke the silence once and for all, addressing the game and giving some info to the fans.

What started out as a The Last of Us multiplayer mode has evolved. Due to the team’s ambition, we really wanted to do something beyond what we’ve ever done before at Naughty Dog. We felt the way to do it justice was to make it a standalone title. They’ve been working on it for the past two years, and the ambition has grown.

This game is big. It’s as big as any of our single-player games and, in some ways, bigger. It’s got a story. The way we’re telling that story is very unique to this game. It’s got a brand new cast of characters. It takes place in another part of the United States. It’s being headed by veterans of Uncharted and The Last of Us. You’re going to see a lot more of this game come next year.

The franchise has become a big hit, providing intriguing storytelling, enough for HBO to pick up and produce a TV adaptation. As far as television is concerned, HBO is the gold standard, so if they have faith in the franchise, there’s merit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRRDpQ0yc0

There is enough time put into the new title that info leaks are bound to happen at any point. Naughty Dog’s job listings have recently started to include a Live Operations Producer which hints that the game is being made as a free-to-play title.

We’re looking for a Live Ops Producer to support our major new multiplayer title. We are looking for the right candidate to get in early and help define the processes, requirements, and infrastructure that will support the project through launch and beyond.

Bonus Skills:

Proven experience in a production role supporting a AAA, free-to-play, live title.

That last sentence is key and while most multiplayer titles nowadays have been free to play, the problem of generating revenue quickly arises. While cosmetics is certainly one way to go about it, the Last of Us is known for its immersive gameplay and story, so it would feel weird to see people in lousy costumes running around the place.

The remastered version of The Last of Us Part 1 should be coming to PC soon, however, there are still no system requirements to go off of.

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