According to its lead multiplayer designer, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End uses peer-to-peer hosts, rather than a dedicated server, to support its online multiplayer mode.

It's no secret that the main attraction of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is going to be the game's epic single-player campaign mode. Player's are desperate to find out if Drake survives the upcoming installment in the action adventure franchise and the first few days after launch will likely be spent working through them. That said, the Uncharted 4's multiplayer mode will be around to keep the community alive and active long after the end credits roll.

Although the latest trailer Uncharted 4's multiplayer mode showcased a lot to be excited about (including the addition of NPC sidekicks), some disappointing news about the feature's back-end might present a new set of problems. During an interview, lead multiplayer designer Robert Cogburn explained that the game won't be using dedicated servers.

“We’ll still have a host, it’s still peer-to-peer.”

As Naughty Dog must have known, this information did not sit well with fans who have been looking forward to a smooth Uncharted online experience. The interview was a short one and there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how the peer-to-peer hosting experience will work. The main question is how the client will handle host-switching when one or more players drops out of a game, either intentionally or because of connection errors. If this frequent occurrence isn't handled smoothly than the competitive multiplayer mode could become more of a headache than it's worth.

Although gamers won't be able to read reviews of Uncharted 4 until the game launches in March, the community will be able to form some first impressions of the multiplayer mode when the beta launches in December. The test will unlock the Team Deathmatch mode on December 4 and allow players to test the client and offer feedback until December 13. To guarantee an early look at the multiplayer mode, consumers can purchase Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and secure a spot in the beta.

At this point, it's impossible to say how big of an issue this will be for multiplayer fans. The game's campaign is clearly the main focus of Uncharted 4, so we just hope that the multiplayer component hasn't been tagged on as an afterthought. After the December beta concludes, we'll be able to have a better idea of how reliable the peer-to-peer hosting is.

What do you think about Uncharted 4 not using dedicated servers? Does this make you less interested in the game's multiplayer mode? Let us know in the comments.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End arrives exclusively on the PlayStation 4 on March 18, 2016.