The fan-made multiplayer project for The Last of Us Part II is officially coming to an end after Sony Interactive Entertainment asked its creator not to release it.
The ambitious project, developed by modder Speclizer, had been in the works for months and was intended to bring a multiplayer experience inspired by the original The Last of Us‘ Factions mode to the PC version of The Last of Us Part II.
Speclizer revealed the cancellation on September 13, just weeks before the planned release. In a post on X, the modder explained that the decision came after “recently received a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting the mod not be released.”
Speclizer did not publish the contents of Sony’s letter or provide further details about the company’s reasoning. However, speculation among fans has focused on the project’s Patreon, which reportedly gave supporters access to the mod while it was still being developed.
That kind of monetization can put fan projects involving copyrighted intellectual property in a difficult position, potentially giving rights holders additional grounds to intervene.
A Promising Factions-Style Project
The cancellation is particularly disappointing given how far the project had progressed.
Speclizer had been documenting development regularly, sharing videos and updates showing the multiplayer mode taking shape. One of the most recent updates, posted in August under the title “We’re getting closer,” offered a look at the experience that was being built.
Based on the footage, the mod was heavily inspired by Factions, the multiplayer component of the original The Last of Us. Naughty Dog‘s mode featured two teams of four competing in different match types while also incorporating a 12-week narrative progression system.
For fans who have been waiting years for another official The Last of Us multiplayer experience, the project represented an interesting alternative.
Unfortunately, that wait is now set to continue.
Sony Already Canceled Its Own The Last of Us Multiplayer Game
The timing of the mod’s cancellation is especially notable because Naughty Dog itself previously abandoned a much larger multiplayer project.
In late 2023, the studio confirmed that it had canceled The Last of Us Online, an ambitious multiplayer game that had been in development since 2020.
The project had reportedly encountered significant development problems over the years. Naughty Dog had released some concept artwork, but The Last of Us Online never received a full public reveal and no gameplay was ever shown.
The studio ultimately decided that continuing development would require the company to put almost all of its resources into supporting the multiplayer title after launch, leaving little room for the single-player games that Naughty Dog is known for.
With the official multiplayer project gone, fan efforts such as Speclizer‘s mod became one of the few ways for The Last of Us players to experience what a modern version of Factions could look like.
Now, that project has also been stopped before it could reach the public.
