Naughty Dog's 'The Last of Us Online' Canceled Despite Near Completion

Naughty Dog's multiplayer project, 'The Last of Us Online,' was approximately 80% complete when the studio decided to cancel it in late 2023. Vinit Agarwal, the game's director, revealed in a recent interview that he had worked on the title for nearly seven years. He described the cancellation as 'soul-crushing,' noting he learned about it just 24 hours before the public announcement.

The decision to halt development was influenced by the significant resources required to support a live-service game post-launch, which would have impacted the studio's ability to develop future single-player titles. Naughty Dog chose to prioritize its upcoming single-player project, 'Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,' directed by studio president Neil Druckmann.

Agarwal also mentioned that the game was performing well internally before its cancellation.