Naughty Dog's Ambitious The Last of Us Online Cancelled After 7 Years
Naughty Dog has officially cancelled its ambitious The Last of Us online multiplayer game after seven years of development. The project was reportedly 80% complete and considered a tentpole release, not filler. Its cancellation frees up resources for Naughty Dog's single-player narrative titles, though some industry veterans question its initial greenlighting.
Coverage across 15 outlets
Work on now-canceled The Last of Us Online caused the huge gap in Naughty Dog’s release cycle
Naughty Dog has canceled its ambitious online multiplayer game set in The Last of Us universe due to its massive scope, which diverted resources from other projects. This decision has contributed to a significant gap between the studio's major releases and reflects Sony's struggles with its push into live service games.
Naughty Dog Never Treated The Last of Us Online as Filler — and Intergalactic’s Team Mostly Formed After the Cancellation
Naughty Dog's canceled multiplayer game, The Last of Us Online, was treated as a tentpole release rather than a filler project, according to Jason Schreier. Most of the team now working on the unannounced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet only joined after The Last of Us Online was scrapped, having spent seven years in development before its cancellation at approximately 80% completion due to the challenges of live service support.
The Last of Us Online Was Not a 'Side Project,' Majority of Intergalactic's Team Came Over After Multiplayer Game Was Scrapped
Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Online was a significant undertaking and a primary reason for the studio's lack of new game releases since 2020. The multiplayer game's cancellation impacted the development of other projects.
The Last of Us Online Director Says Former Colleagues Still Call it “The Best Multiplayer Game”
Former director Vinit Agarwal revealed that colleagues still consider the cancelled The Last of Us Online to be the best multiplayer game they've played. Naughty Dog cancelled the project in December 2023 due to its massive scope and the need to prioritize single-player narrative games. Agarwal, who worked on the title for seven years, expressed devastation but understanding for the decision.
The Last of Us Online was "the best multiplayer game" many Naughty Dog devs had "ever played," ex…
Former Naughty Dog developer Vinit Agarwal stated that the canceled multiplayer game, The Last of Us Online, was considered by many ex-colleagues to be the best multiplayer game they had ever played. Despite being approximately 80% complete, the live service title was canceled, leading Agarwal to vow that future projects he works on will be released.
Morning Postmortems/Retrospectives
The former director of the cancelled The Last of Us Online has stated it was the best multiplayer game the team had ever created. The article also briefly touches upon the historical significance of Tennis for Two as an early video game.
Director of The Last of Us Online Says Former Colleagues Still Tell Him How Amazing It Was Going to Be
The director of the canceled multiplayer game The Last of Us Online stated that former colleagues continue to tell him it was shaping up to be the best multiplayer game they had ever played. This indicates significant potential that was lost with the project's cancellation.
Cancelled The Last of Us Online director says it was 'the best multiplayer game' the team had ever played
Former game director Vinit Agarwal described the cancelled multiplayer game The Last of Us Online as 'the best multiplayer game [the team] ever played.' Agarwal revealed the project was approximately 80 percent complete before its cancellation, which was reportedly made to prioritize another game directed by Neil Druckmann.
Former Xbox Veteran Says Canceling The Last of Us Online Was the Right Call, Criticizes Naughty Dog and Sony for Green-lighting It in the First Place
A former Xbox veteran believes Sony Interactive Entertainment and Naughty Dog made the correct decision to cancel The Last of Us Online. The veteran criticized the companies for green-lighting the project in the first place, suggesting it was a flawed concept from the start.
The Last of Us Online’s Cancellation Was a Good Decision, Says Microsoft Game Studios Co-Founder
Microsoft Game Studios co-founder Laura Fryer stated that the cancellation of The Last of Us Online was a positive decision, preventing Naughty Dog from falling into the sunk cost fallacy. She criticized the project's handling and lack of planning, emphasizing that supporting a live service game would have jeopardized the studio's focus on single-player narrative titles.
Former Xbox exec thinks Naughty Dog's decision to cancel the 80% completed The Last of Us Online 'was the right call', but it shouldn't have greenlit it in the first place — 'The ambition was there, but the realistic upfront planning wasn't', she says
Former Microsoft executive Laura Fryer believes Naughty Dog made the correct decision to cancel The Last of Us Online, even though it was nearly 80% complete. She argues the real mistake was greenlighting the project without adequate upfront planning for a live service model, which would have strained the studio's resources and potentially compromised its focus on single-player narrative games.
Last Of Us Online Dev Says It Was Around 80 Percent Complete Before Its Cancellation
The director of the canceled game The Last of Us Online stated in an interview that the project was approximately 80 percent complete before its cancellation. He discussed his career and the impact of the game's discontinuation.
Last Of Us Online Dev Says It Was Around ‘80 Percent’ Complete Before Its Cancellation
A developer from the cancelled The Last of Us Online project stated that the game was approximately 80 percent complete before its cancellation by PlayStation. The article discusses the challenges PlayStation faces with its live service initiatives, using Concord as another example of a project with an unclear direction.
The Last of Us Online Was Cancelled 24 Hours Before It Was Announced
The Last of Us Online was canceled just 24 hours before its public announcement, with director Vinit Agarwal revealing the project was 80 percent complete. Journalist Jason Schreier also reported that the cancellation led to layoffs at Sony, impacting development on future single-player titles.
The Last of Us multiplayer game director learned of the game's cancellation a day before the public
Vinit Agarwal, the game director for the canceled The Last of Us multiplayer project, revealed in a recent interview that he learned of the game's cancellation just one day before the public announcement. The project, developed by Naughty Dog, was officially scrapped earlier this year.
After 7 years of development, The Last of Us Online was 80% complete and was scrapped to make room for Intergalactic:…
The multiplayer spin-off The Last of Us Online was canceled after seven years of development and being 80% complete, according to game director Vinit Agarwal. The decision was made to prioritize Naughty Dog's next single-player game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and due to shifts in the live service market post-Covid. Agarwal described the cancellation as a devastating moment, learned only 24 hours before the public announcement.
Last Of Us Online took 7 years and was almost done when it was cancelled
The director of the cancelled The Last of Us Online, Vinit Agarwal, revealed that the live service game was nearly 80% complete when Naughty Dog decided to cancel it. The studio prioritized developing new single-player titles over the extensive post-launch support required for The Last of Us Online. This decision was made despite the game being a significant project for Sony, which had invested heavily in live service games.
'It Killed Me That People Couldn't Play It' — Director of The Last of Us Online Only Found Out It Was Cancelled 24 Hours Before the Public, Says It Was 80% Complete
The director of the cancelled multiplayer game The Last of Us Online revealed he learned of its cancellation only 24 hours before the public announcement. He stated the game was approximately 80% complete, and its cancellation was devastating.
The Last of Us Online was roughly 80% complete when it was cancelled, claims former director
Former Naughty Dog director Vinit Agarwal claims the cancelled The Last of Us online game was approximately 80 percent complete when development ceased. Agarwal stated that the project was cancelled to prioritize Neil Druckmann's next game, describing the decision as devastating after seven years of work. The cancellation occurred shortly before it was publicly announced.
The Last of Us Online was around '80%' complete when Naughty Dog canceled it
Former Naughty Dog game director Vinit Agarwal revealed that The Last of Us Online was approximately 80% complete when the studio canceled it in late 2023. Agarwal stated the decision was made to prioritize other projects, including one directed by company president Neil Druckmann. The article also touches on PlayStation's broader struggles with live service game development and recent layoffs.
