While the original Last of Us game is best known for its award-winning narrative, it also had a well-received online multiplayer component as well. The Last of Us 2 was also expected to have its own multiplayer mode, though it's been over a year since the game's release with no official world on multiplayer. Rumor has it that The Last of Us 2's multiplayer might end up being its own, standalone thing, and it's possible that it may even include a battle royale mode.
As spotted by Push Square, YouTuber Speclizer has looked into assets that have been datamined from The Last of Us 2's single-player code. A potential map for a Last of Us 2 battle royale mode has been found, which will could potentially incorporate areas from the single-player game. They've also found evidence of a "compass," a player count, and an emote wheel script, all commonly found in battle royale games.
Other evidence pointing to a Last of Us 2 battle royale mode include various gear that have been associated with the genre, suggesting players will need to loot for armor and equipment as is commonplace for the genre. However, it must be stressed that just because this seems to be pointing in the direction of a Last of Us 2 battle royale, it doesn't mean that's the case. It's also possible such a mode was considered but scrapped, and there's always the chance that the multiplayer will never come at all. Needless to say, The Last of Us 2 fans should take this information with a massive grain of salt and keep their expectations in check until official word comes from Naughty Dog or Sony.
While it's unclear if the Last of Us 2 multiplayer mode will ever materialize, if it does happen, it will be interesting to see what form it takes. It's easy to see how a Last of Us battle royale could be hugely lucrative for Naughty Dog and Sony, but it's also clear that fans are expecting a Last of Us Factions 2.0, something similar to the multiplayer from the first game but taken to the next level.
It does seem as though Naughty Dog has a standalone Last of Us 2 multiplayer experience in development, but fans will have to standby for an official announcement. In the meantime, one has to wonder if any other Last of Us 2 rumors will materialize. There have been persistent rumors that an official Last of Us 2 PS5 port is in the works, though that too has yet to be announced.
The Last of Us 2 is out now, exclusively for PlayStation 4.
Source: Push Square