Last of Us 2 Multiplayer Mod Officially Canceled by Sony

The developer planned to release the project this month

A highly-anticipated Last of Us 2 mod that would bring multiplayer to the game is shutting down. The developer, Speclizer, announced the project is ending after Sony issued a cease and desist letter. The mod was intended to be ready for the public sometime this month, according to the developer.

Speclizer made the announcement in an X post on Sept. 13, writing that they had "recently received a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting the mod not be released." While Speclizer did not share any details of Sony's letter, fans speculate that the shutdown was caused by the developer's Patreon. Access to the mod during development was put behind a paywall, meaning Speclizer effectively monetized the project. This is often what causes companies to step in and shut down mods, as it 'infringes on intellectual property rights.

Prior to the cancellation, the developer had been posting steady updates on the mod's progress on YouTube. Most recently, a video titled "We're getting closer" was uploaded in August. The experience shown off in that video indicates that the fan project would aim to recreate the original Last of Us' Factions mode, which pits two teams of four against each other in various types of matches that tied into an overarching story set over 12 weeks.

An official Last of Us multiplayer game was already canceled

In late 2023, developer Naughty Dog announced that it had canceled an official multiplayer game in the series that it had been calling The Last of Us Online. According to reports, the project had a troubled development since work began in 2020. While some concept art was shared over the years, the game was never officially revealed and no gameplay was ever shown.

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As a stand-alone title, The Last of Us Online was supposed to be much larger than the Factions mode of the original Last of Us. The game was also part of Sony's push to make more live-service titles, a push that has largely failed, resulting in many canceled projects and closed studios.. While we may never get a Last of Us multiplayer game, Naughty Dog recently teased it still has plans for the series.