Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mod ‘canceled by Sony’
Multiplayer mod team say they’re cancelling its release due to a request from PlayStation
A multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part 2 on PC has had its release canceled after Sony Interactive Entertainment allegedly sent its creators a warning.
The unofficial Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mode was being developed by mod team Specizer and was shown off via extensive footage uploaded to YouTube this summer.
The mod’s development was partially funded via Patreon and included numerous custom features like perks and limited listening mechanics, as well as new maps.
However, according to the group, the mod will now no longer be released, at the request of Naughty Dog and The Last of Us owner, PlayStation.
“Hey everyone, as you all know, the TOU 2 Multiplayer mod that has been in development since January was supposed to release this month,” Speclizer wrote. “Unfortunately I recently received a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting for the mod not to be released.
“Extremely sad that this never got to see the light of day but I hope you’ll continue to follow me onto the next project, this time something of my own. Thank you all for the incredible amount of support over the last year. hope to bring you something bigger and better soon!”
The Last of Us Part 2 was originally intended to launch with an official multiplayer mode. However, Naughty Dog president and The Last of Us Part 2 director Neil Druckmann announced in September 2019 that the title wouldn’t include a multiplayer component as originally planned because the studio “wanted to take all of the resources to make this the biggest game we’ve ever done”.
Naughty Dog pledged to release a new Last of Us multiplayer offering after its work on the sequel was complete, however, those efforts also failed to lead to a release.
It released the first concept art for The Last of Us Online in June 2022, when Druckmann said the game had its own story, a brand-new cast of characters, and was as big as any of the studio’s single-player titles.
Explaining the decision to cancel the live service game in 2023, Naughty Dog said moving forward with it would have required the studio to dedicate all of its resources to supporting post-launch content, meaning it would have had to give up making the single-player experiences it is renowned for.
