The Last of Us 2's multiplayer was a highly-wanted, but sadly missing piece from the game's original 2020 launch, with fans eager to learn more about the project. Although nothing is confirmed, a new job listing at Naughty Dog may hint The Last of Us 2's multiplayer being free-to-play.
While The Last of Us would receive tremendous acclaim for its narrative-driven adventure, many gravitated towards the game's clever multiplayer experience, Factions. In the brutal mode, players select to either be a Firefly or a Hunter, and must perform well in matches in order to provide for their group of survivors. It was a fittingly gritty spin on performance-based multiplayer, and with the announcement of The Last of Us 2, many players were excited simply to see what new form Factions would take on. Unfortunately though, the mode didn't launch with the game, with very little actually being known about The Last of Us 2's multiplayer besides the fact that it is in development.
Originally spotted by Dexerto, a new position at Naughty Dog points toward The Last of Us 2's multiplayer being free-to-play. According to the listing, the position is for a "Senior Monetization / Economy Designer" on Naughty Dog's "first standalone multiplayer game." The listing doesn't explicitly mention The Last of Us 2's multiplayer, but as it is the only confirmed multiplayer project in development at Naughty Dog, it is reasonable to assume this listing is for it. As for the suggestion of the multiplayer being free-to-play, that comes from the job's call for the building of a monetiziation system, where players can attain items through earned or purchased currency.
The "Senior Monetization / Economy Designer" will be instrumental in the financial foundations of the The Last of Us 2's multiplayer. Listed as some of the responsibilities of the job are "design sustainable monetization systems in line with the game's vision," "promote a holistic monetiziation strategy with the goal of improving retention," and "coordinate with the Design and Art teams to develop a strategic and opportunisitic plan for the creation of in-game items," among many other tasks. Interesting requirements of the position include understanding player psychology and narrative tone reinforce the patented Naughty Dog balancing act of game and narrative.
PlayStation may have a choke hold on the industry when it comes to single-player experiences, the one area where it falters is in an exclusive multiplayer offering. Sure, games like Destruction AllStars and Fall Guys in the past have been PlayStation console exclusives, but have never reached the iconic status of PlayStation's single-player properties. At the end of the day, the likely hope of PlayStation is that The Last of Us 2's multiplayer catches on like its past multiplayer offerings have failed to do.
The Last of Us 2 is available on PS4.
Source: Dexerto