The last of us multiplayer game was 80% complete before it was cancelled

This article was updated by Andrea Trama on April 9, 2026 to include Neil Druckmann's tease for TLoU 3 and a new Uncharted rumor. It was first published on April 2.

A standalone multiplayer game developed and set in by Naughty Dog The last of us The universe was 80% complete when the studio decided to cancel the project in 2023. The last of us online started with the development of The Last of Us Part 2Naughty Dog aimed to expand on the multiplayer mode featured in the original 2013 title, as it was known. factions. Unfortunately, the project became too ambitious for the studio and was ultimately canned after nearly seven years in development.

Although Naughty Dog is best known for creating some of the PlayStation's most beloved single-player, story-driven experiences, such as The last of us and unknownIt has also found success with its multiplayer ventures over the years. Not only that, he did a lot unknown The games include many popular online multiplayer modes, but the original the last of us From 2013 it also shipped with an online component known as Faxon. Support for the mod on PlayStation 3 ended in 2019 when the game's servers were shut down, but it can still be played on PlayStation 4 and 5. The Last of Us Remastered.

Image courtesy of Craig Mazin - Rachel Fidis with our last game in the background

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The last multiplayer game among us was “so close to being done”.

With it becoming widely popular among factions The last of us community, Naughty Dog decided to build on the mod by creating a standalone multiplayer game set in the same universe. Dubbed as The last of us onlineThe highly-anticipated title was first announced for 2022, with Naughty Dog calling it “a hugely ambitious undertaking”. The studio expanded to make sure it had the resources needed to build a full-scale, standalone multiplayer game with such a large scope. Unfortunately, the project was canceled in 2023, and the game director has now stated that it was 80% complete when it was canceled.

On March 29, 2026, The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann shared on Instagram that “Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially grateful for the few stops left on the road ahead,” which fans believe is the next chapter. Furthermore, a new Uncharted rumor surfaced recently, stating that a new game in the series was in development before COVID and was possibly canceled during the pandemic.

Lance E. Speaking on a new episode of the Lee podcast (via Push Square ), former Naughty Dog employee Vineet Agrawal said. The last of us online “It was very, very close.” He said he worked on the project for “about seven years” between 2016 and its cancellation in 2023, when it was 80% complete. Agarwal said much of this came from the fund and the Covid-19 pandemic. “During COVID, the games industry saw huge growth because everyone was at home. So, in 2020, there was a flood of money in the gaming industry because people were suddenly playing more games because they were at home – what else are they going to do?”

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With online gaming getting a big boost in 2020 as much of the world is on lockdown, forcing people to stay at home, Agarwal says that's part of the reason why PlayStation decided to fund it. The last of us online. “The game was doing really, really well internally,” says the former director. However, as people return to work, Naughty Dog is given a new experimental title (The last of us online) or Neil Druckmann's next project, which we now know to be a highly anticipated PS5 exclusive. Intergalactic: Heretic Prophet. “It was a devastating moment for me,” Agarwal said. “I spent seven years working on that game. To find out it was being canceled 24 hours before it was announced… it was unfortunate.”

when The last of us online Canceled back in 2023, Naughty Dog said he felt the experience was unique and “extremely powerful”. However, once full production was underway, the studio's scope and ambition became clear. As a direct-service title, Naughty Dog would have needed to be supported The last of us online For years to come, that meant pumping resources into the title and taking away from other single-player projects that defined “Naughty Dog's legacy.”

A year later, Naughty Dog goes to reveal Intergalactic: Heretic Prophet at The Game Awards 2024. The brand-new IP is a science fiction game with a star-studded cast, which Naughty Dog says will be an “emotional, character-driven journey” featuring the studio's “wildest, most creative story yet.” There is currently no release date or window for Naughty Dog's next game, but fans are hoping to see more from the title as soon as it reaches the two-year mark after its reveal.