The Last of Us turns 10 years old in June, and Naughty Dog plans to celebrate the milestone with an array of special announcements along the way. One of those updates involves a closer look at the upcoming standalone multiplayer title.
In a blog post, Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann reflects on The Last of Us’ legacy as well as the franchise’s future. In addition to the HBO adaptation premiering on January 15 and the PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 hitting in March, Druckmann states fans will learn more about the long-awaited multiplayer experience that serves as a follow-up to the original game’s Factions mode. Druckmann writes,
“We’ll have some fun surprises for you along the way, but later this year we will begin to offer you some details on our ambitious The Last of Us multiplayer game. With a team led by Vinit Agarwal, Joe Pettinati, and Anthony Newman, the project is shaping up to be a fresh, new experience from our studio, but one rooted in Naughty Dog’s passion for delivering incredible stories, characters, and gameplay.”
Naughty Dog also shares a new piece of concept art, posted in full below, which is the first new material of the game since it released the first concept asset last June. It depicts two survivors heading toward a dilapidated cruise ship.
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Though we’ll be learning more about the game this year, it’s still unknown if Naughty Dog plans to launch it in 2023. That would be fitting given the anniversary, but we’ll have to wait and see over the coming months. Until then, be sure to check out this feature on how The Last of Us Part 1 proves there’s no such thing as a faithful remake.