The Last of Us Online Was 80% Finished Before Cancellation
New revelations confirm that the Last of Us multiplayer game didn’t just fail to launch, it was standing at the finish line, 80% complete, before the plug was pulled.
For years, the mystery surrounding Naughty Dog’s ambitious The Last of Us multiplayer project hung over the industry like a dense fog.
In a recent interview on the LelPodcast, the game’s director, Vinit Agarwal, has spoken up about what really happened, stating Sony decided to cancel the multiplayer title after COVID in favor of the “next game that Neil Druckmann was directing.”
How Close Was It? The 80% Revelation
We now know the technical state of the game was remarkably advanced. Former director Vinit Agarwal recently revealed that the team had “developed it to 80 percent completion” before the axe fell.
It wasn’t just a collection of ideas; it had functional gameplay loops and completed environments. Agarwal noted the project was “doing really really well internally,” making the loss of seven years of wor even harder to stomach.
Why Naughty Dog Pulled the Plug
The decision came down to a brutal choice between two paths. According to Agarwal, Sony and Naughty Dog had to decide whether to “make this game, or make this next game that Neil Druckmann was directing.”
Ultimately, they chose the project that represented the “soul bread-and-butter of the studio.” Supporting a live-service title would have required a permanent commitment of resources, effectively ending Naughty Dog’s ability to produce the single-player epics fans expect.
Agarwal described the news as “soul crushing,” especially finding out only 24 hours before the public announcement.
A Necessary Loss?
While it’s painful to think about a nearly finished project being shelved, this move likely secures the future of the franchise. It ensures the team is focused on the next big single-player narrative rather than chasing battle passes.
The studio is again doing what it does best.
Fueled by a passion for gaming and the ever-evolving world of gaming news, Daniel loves connecting with seasoned and new players to bring games to life on the page, exploring their narratives and gaming trends. A self-published fiction and fantasy author, Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience writing gaming news and a love for storytelling that drives his enthusiasm to deliver breaking news, in-depth analysis, and industry innovations. You will find him in-game as "Windfell."
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Comments (1)
I legitimately don't understand why anyone cares. There's a billion online games to fight each other. Last of Us is story driven. Go play COD or Fork Knife.