Even though Naughty Dog technically has no fully revealed game on its release radar right now, it looks as though Sony’s studio is about to have a busy couple of years. Beyond playing a key advisory role on development of HBO’s The Last of Us TV adaptation, there’s a growing sense online that Naughty Dog’s next gaming project will be officially unveiled soon. After all, excluding the PS5’s remastered Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, nearly two years have passed since its last brand-new release.
Since The Last of Us 2 landed on PS4 during the summer of 2020, the studio has been noticeably cagey about its future plans. Aside from a few teases about the sequel’s planned Factions multiplayer spin-off, there’s been virtually no updates from the studio. However, that hasn't stopped several credible leaks from popping up online in regard to what it’s allegedly working on. Over the last few months, a number of reports have been released that reference the rumored The Last of Us remake and aforementioned online game that are worth examining.
Factions' Reset
Thanks to the efforts of people like Jason Schreier, fans have had reason to believe for some time now that Naughty Dog is working on multiple The Last of Us projects. Early last year, the reporter peeled back the curtain on the goings-on within the studio and how a remake of the original game is supposedly being worked on by Naughty Dog. In addition to this, based on comments and job postings from the studio itself, it’s understood that progress on the Last of Us’s new Factions game is being made too. What shape that project will take has never been officially revealed, though.
At the end of March however, there was a noticeable uptick in the number of leaks being posted online that claimed to have extra details on both games. Proceedings were kicked off specifically by the ‘Oops Leaks’ Twitter account, which in a post on the social media site, stated that it had received details about several Naughty Dog projects. Beyond referencing a brand-new fantasy-themed IP, the Twitter account has also claimed that the studio has gone back to the drawing board on its Factions multiplayer spin-off.
What allegedly started life as a battle royale game has now been reimagined to some extent as a The Division-style experience with single-player qualities. According to Oops Leaks, players will be able to pick between three modes that harken back to the original The Last of Us’s own Factions multiplayer options. Very little else was offered up by the account, beyond claims that the spin-off will launch on PC and PS5 in 2023 as a free-to-play live-service game.
In terms of believability, nothing that the Oops Leaks account has claimed is too outlandish. It’s easy to imagine based on the amount of time that Naughty Dog has been working on Last of Us 2’s Factions spin-off that some sort of reset has been made. However, what dilutes the likelihood of the supposed leak being accurate is the fact that no source has been cited. Details like the remake of the original entry in the franchise have also been ignored by the otherwise comprehensive report, despite the evidence that backs up its existence. This suggests that the leaker could be making sound predictions, rather than unveiling accurate details.
Last of Us 2 Code Leak
Only a few short weeks after the Oops Leaks Twitter rumor had made the rounds online, another similar Factions-themed report popped up in headlines across the internet. Thanks to the sleuthing of a modder named Speclizer, several details have seemingly been uncovered in relation to Naughty Dog's initial plans for the multiplayer concept. Specifically, having dug into the code of The Last of Us 2, the modder has found a number of references to a battle royale mode.
These include lines of code that mention concepts like a circle, victory screen, and map, which are all elements found frequently in battle royale games such as Apex Legends and Fortnite. Based on how Naughty Dog has left these within the DNA of The Last of Us 2, it stands to reason that the mode was planned for the game before the multiplayer portion of the project was separated into its own project. It’s possibly telling based on the lack of assets and other components that the idea was abandoned relatively early on in development.
It’s worth emphasizing that no matter what evidence is given to back up a supposed leak, fans should always take rumors with a pinch of salt. Thanks to the turbulent nature of the video game industry, even cast-iron plans can change at the drop of a hat. With two years having passed since The Last of Us 2’s release, there’s a possibility that Naughty Dog’s multiplayer plans could have changed by now. While a battle royale mode would likely be popular, it’s possible based on Oops Leaks' comments that the concept won’t be a part of the Factions game when it launches.
Naughty Dog’ Employee Profiles
Since the arrival of the PS5, Sony has shaken up how it communicates information to fans. It’s becoming increasingly common for details to be uncovered from job postings and employee LinkedIn accounts, rather than from official press-releases published by the platform holder itself. The same can be said of Naughty Dog and its slate of anticipated games as well. For months, social media users have been stumbling across job notices that seemingly point to the directions the studio is going to take The Last of Us.
Only a few weeks ago for example, the ‘Universo PlayStation’ Twitter account uncovered evidence that Naughty Dog is creating a remake of the original The Last of Us. Within the LinkedIn account of one of the studio’s Quality Assurance testers, there’s allegedly a tiny reference to the employee working on a ‘unannounced remake project.’ While the blurb stops short of outright mentioning The Last of Us, it stands to reason with everything else in mind that it's the primary candidate being worked on.
After all, with The Last of Us' 10th anniversary approaching next year, an ideal window full of marketing potential is on the horizon for Naughty Dog. The arrival of the franchise's highly anticipated HBO adaptation in 2023 also neatly lines up in this regard as well. Now that Neil Druckmann’s ‘Part 1’ hat has been debunked, this leak could go down in history as the first semi-official reference to The Last of Us remake from the studio.
Remake and Factions Combined
With multiple The Last of Us projects seemingly in development, fans have been speculating for some time as to how Naughty Dog will handle the release of so many alleged games. According to Michael Huber of Easy Allies though, the studio might release its reported remake and multiplayer game as one single experience. Still, it should be pointed out that this is in direct contrast to other reported leaks which suggest Naughty Dog is eyeing a free-to-play live-service approach for its Factions game.
What really limits the likelihood of this particular leak is the fact that no official source has been provided by Huber. WIth that said, in terms of plausibility, there’s some obvious merit to the idea of an all-in-one package. Considering how the studio is reportedly keen to work on a brand-new IP, for example, it’s hard to imagine Naughty Dog dedicating the next handful of years to solely releasing The Last of Us games. From a sales perspective it’s easy to imagine a compilation - possibly with a Director’s Cut of Part 2 included - going down extremely well with fans as well.
The Last of Us remake is rumored to be in development for PS5.