Former the last of us multiplayer director still hearing praise for ‘amazing’ unfinished game
Seattle, WA – Former game director Vinit Agarwal is still fielding enthusiastic messages from former colleagues who remain convinced that The Last of Us Online, despite its cancellation, would have been a revolutionary multiplayer experience. The project, abruptly shuttered by Naughty Dog in December 2023, continues to resonate within the industry, years after its demise.
A persistent echo of potential
Agarwal, who left Naughty Dog to establish his own studio in Japan following the cancellation, tweeted over the weekend, stating, ‘It’s wild how many of my ex-colleagues still message me today saying how amazing TLOU Online was going to be – still the best multiplayer game they’ve ever played.’ He added, ‘Never going to let what I work on not see the light of day again. Thank you all for your support and confidence!’ This sentiment underscores a deeply personal investment in the project’s vision, a vision that ultimately proved unattainable.
The decision to pull the plug on The Last of Us Online, which had been nearly seven years in the making, was driven by a confluence of factors. Sony’s strategic recalibration of its live service ambitions, coupled with the broader industry contraction following the COVID-19 lockdowns, played a significant role. However, as Agarwal himself explained in an interview with the Lance E. Lee Podcast, the potential impact on the development of other, higher-priority projects – notably Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – ultimately tipped the scales.
Recreating a core experience
Agarwal vividly described the intended gameplay loop, aiming to capture the visceral feeling of scarcity and desperation that defined the original The Last of Us. ‘I wanted people to get that feeling,’ he explained. ‘It takes place in The Last of Us universe. It was a multiplayer game set in the same universe as The Last of Us. The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic world where people potentially hunt each other for food, for a little bit of supplies. And it’s kind of like what those guys did to me, where they rob me for basically a McDonald’s meal.’
The core mechanic involved scavenging for resources, with eliminating opponents representing the most efficient – and often morally ambiguous – means of acquiring them. Agarwal recounted a specific early prototype experience, recalling the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere of hiding from a pursuing player, the frantic reloading, and the desperate scramble for survival. ‘It was therapy for me,’ he admitted. ‘It was such a personally meaningful project to me, that it killed me that people couldn’t play it.’
Industry intervention
Interestingly, prior feedback from Naughty Dog’s sister studio, Bungie, reportedly cautioned Sony against pursuing a live service model for The Last of Us Online. As Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida revealed in Sacred Symbols+, Bungie’s concerns regarding the significant investment required to sustain a live service game ultimately persuaded Naughty Dog to abandon the project, safeguarding resources for the development of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Despite the cancellation, whispers persist of a potential return to the The Last of Us franchise, with The Last of Us 3 currently in production and HBO’s television adaptation continuing its third season. The enduring enthusiasm for the unreleased multiplayer experience, however, serves as a poignant reminder of a bold, ambitious vision ultimately sacrificed at the altar of strategic priorities.