It isn’t unusual for developers to turn what were initially just side projects into full-fledged games after realizing that it has more potential. Assassin’s Creed Mirage, for example, started off as an expansion or DLC for the previous entry, the much-maligned, Assassins’ Creed: Valhalla. Now, it’s the poster child for Ubisoft’s ongoing rehabilitation of its best-selling franchise. But, in some cases, publishers can force studios to take what should’ve been just a DLC or expansion or even an add-on to the main game and turn it into a full-fledged title and they don’t often go so well.
While it’s not yet confirmed that this is what’s happening with The Last of Us’ multiplayer spin-off, the writing is on the proverbial wall.
After Naughty Dog confirmed the “delay” earlier in May following reports that Bungie raised concerns about the game, specifically its long-term viability as a live-service title, news just dropped that the game has been put “on ice.”
According to Kotaku, Naughty Dog will lay off at least 25 contractors, mostly in Quality Assurance, by month’s end. It’s believed now that Naughty Dog is pressuring everyone to “keep the news quiet”, at least until it’s official.
Naughty Dog released The Last of Us Part 2 to critical acclaim in 2020. The studio hasn’t exactly sat on its laurels since then. Instead, it has focused its efforts towards Sony’s now-well-known live-service push, on top of a “mystery” project and Neil Druckmann’s Hollywood endeavors with multiple seasons of its live-action adaptation already on the way. But, what preceded all of this is now-canceled (or should we say, iced) multiplayer component of The Last of Us Part 2.
The Last of Us Part 1, or, at the time, just The Last of Us, originally had a multiplayer component. This feature, which isn’t available on The Last of Us Part 1 on the PlayStation 5 and the PC, remains a draw.
It was the assumption at the time of The Last of Us Part 2’s release that Naughty Dog had just “delayed” The Last of Us Factions 2 to a later date. Unfortunately, Naughty Dog eventually canceled it and everyone pieced together that it had been turned into a live-service game as a key component of Sony’s multi-billion-dollar investment in the live-service genre.
With that said, we can assume that either one or these two things happened: Naughty Dog’s heart probably wasn’t into turning what should’ve been just a multiplayer component into a live-service game and Sony effectively forced the project on one of its marquee studios.
These aren’t things that you don’t want to see happening to a studio like Naughty Dog, which has proven time and time again that it can produce hits when left to its own devices.
Live-service is a finnicky genre. Behind the temptation of making billions is that it has swallowed several studios whole over the years. BioWare, Crystal Dynamics, and Blizzard Entertainment are recent examples of studios whose reputations are forever tainted by their live-service failures.
As much as Fortnite and Call of Duty might rake in the big digital and physical bucks, there’s a growing pile of dead or soon-to-be dead games that a chunk of Sony’s upcoming live-service titles will only add to if it doesn’t rethink its strategies.
Sony might try to clear things up and use corporate speak to say that The Last of Us Factions 2 isn’t canceled, but we all know it’s already taken the the dog to the back of the barn and put it out of its misery.
The good news is that projects are canceled mid-way and even at the last-minute all of the time in gaming. As much as diversifying your projects is a savvy business move, with Jim Ryan’s impending departure, Sony can still scale back on its live-service investment. It’s not like the projects will all go to waste anyway. Its conglomerate of studios can reuse and repurpose the assets in the future. Naughty Dog, for example, can take some time off to recuperate and rebuild morale to do what they do best – narrative-driven titles that tug at the heartstrings of audiences and win awards.
In fact, this is a chance for Sony to put its money where its mouth is and remember their bread and butter. After all, you can’t always have your cake and eat it. If it wants to retain its pole position in the gaming industry, it’s best if it doubles down on what took it this far, not risk spreading itself thin. And, if in the future, Naught Dog, or other developers that’s under the PlayStation Studios umbrella, for that matter, has a solid pitch for a live-service game, then, by all means, give them the green light if it’s good – just don’t push them to turn something into what it’s not supposed to be in the first place, just because.
If nothing else, Sony and PlayStation need only take a look at the ongoing backlash aimed at Overwatch 2, Diablo 4, Redfall, and even Payday 3, to know that the live-service genre isn’t all that it’s cut out to be.
Thankfully, Insomniac Games seem to be relatively untouched by all this hullaballoo. It’s currently set to release Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on October 20, which is making rounds on the internet for its relatively short campaign. After this, it’s off to another project, this time, with everybody’s favorite diminutive, cigar-smelling, regenerative degenerate with a short fuse, in Marvel’s Wolverine.
