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Last of Us Online Was Great But Cancelled Anyway

The gaming world recently buzzed with the news that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Online, also known as Factions, was cancelled. Surprisingly, former PlayStation exec Shuhei Yoshida himself said it was great.

What Happened to The Last of Us Online?

The online multiplayer spin-off of the popular post-apocalyptic series was ultimately shelved in late 2023. Sony decided Naughty Dog shouldn’t focus solely on live service games. Although Destiny developer Bungie assisted, they had doubts about the game’s long-term appeal.

Yoshida, who played the game before its cancellation, confirmed its quality. He explained that Naughty Dog wanted to pursue the project, but Bungie highlighted the demands of live service. This led Naughty Dog to realize it would interfere with their next big project, the single-player sci-fi game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Sony’s Shift Away from Live Service

Sony initially had big plans for live service games, with over 10 in development at one point. The idea was that these games offered prolonged engagement. Sony Exec, Jim Ryan was a big part of this, and has since left the company.

Yoshida simply stated that the situation, sucks.

The Future of PlayStation Games

Sony’s recent State of Play had few first-party game announcements. It’s a common assumption this is linked to the wave of cancelled projects, including a reported delay for the live-service shooter Fairgame$.