Update: May 26, 2023
Bloomberg‘s Jason Schreier said on Twitter that Naughty Dog’s decision to announce the delay comes after Bloomberg learned that the game’s development has hit a snag.
“Sony Group Corp. has slowed down development on an upcoming multiplayer game in its long-running The Last of Us video game series as the creators reassess its quality and long-term viability, according to four people familiar with the project,” Schreier said.
While the game has not been canceled, Schreier said only a small number of developers remains on the project while the company decides where it should go next.
Original Story:
Naughty Dog previously promised more information about The Last of Us multiplayer game in summer 2023, but that announcement is rather different than some fans hoped for. The Last of Us multiplayer game is delayed indefinitely so the team can have more time to bring their vision to life.
“We know many of you have been looking forward to hearing more about our The Last of Us multiplayer game,” Naughty Dog said in a statement on Twitter. “We’re incredibly proud of the job our studio has done thus far, but as development has continued, we’ve realized what is best for our game is to give it more time.”
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) May 26, 2023
Naughty Dog didn’t mention how significant the delay is, though the game never had even a vague release frame to begin with. Naughty Dog previously came under fire for reported crunch conditions at the studio and pressure placed on developers to deliver complex projects on short deadlines, including work on The Last of Us Part 2.
The studio said they would continue working on the project, along with “other games” in development, including a “new single-player experience.” Whether that’s The Last of Us Part 3 is anyone’s guess. Naughty Dog has teased it already, though, and the HBO show performed so well that it would be more surprising not to see a new game.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
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