Following Naughty Dog's formal cancellation announcement last Thursday a freshly released image appears to reveal the main menu of the abandoned multiplayer version of The Last of Us. The leaked photograph was released by reputed insider Dusk Golem on ResetEra and quickly spread across other social media networks.
Neil Druckmann, president of Naughty Dog and director of The Last of Us Part 2, first confirmed the decision to cancel The Last of Us Online in September 2019. According to Druckmann, the multiplayer component was dropped from the title's development in order to focus resources on developing the most significant game in the studio's history.
Despite the postponement, Naughty Dog assured fans in a subsequent statement that a new multiplayer experience for The Last of Us would be released once the sequel was done. The first concept image for The Last of Us Online was revealed in June 2022 highlighting an original storyline, a new cast of characters, and a scale similar to their famed single-player titles. In January of the following year, an additional piece of concept art was released.
Naughty Dog explained that the decision to discontinue the live service game was motivated by the need to focus all resources on post-launch content support. This would have put the studio's characteristic single-player experiences at risk.
Naughty Dog expressed regret at the cancellation, acknowledging the disappointment felt by The Last of Us Factions community and thanking its supporters for their dedication. According to the studio,
"We're equally crushed at the studio as we were looking forward to putting it in your hands."
The image of The Last of Us Online's main menu that was leaked has now been made public, adding another layer to the emerging story of the cancelled online project. Despite this loss, Naughty Dog expressed its pride in the project's efforts highlighting that the technological advances and insights obtained will have a substantial impact on the studio's future projects.
Looking ahead, Naughty Dog hinted at the creation of more than one ambitious, brand-new single-player game. The company showed want to disclose details about new projects when the time comes, stressing its commitment to provide compelling single-player experiences to their loyal following.