PlayStation cancels another The Last of Us project as Naughty Dog fans struggle to catch a break

PlayStation has reportedly cancelled yet another project, this time related to Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series, in what is another blow for diehard fans who are desperately waiting for a new game to drop.

Naughty Dog is one of Sony PlayStation’s most popular first-party studios, having created The Last of Us and Uncharted. So, news that Sony PlayStation has cancelled yet another The Last of Us project is the last thing fans wanted to hear.

In December 2023, Sony confirmed it had cancelled The Last of Us Online, Naughty Dog’s planned standalone multiplayer game. Given the success of the original game’s underrated Factions mode, the project had huge potential to become a major live-service title for PlayStation.

Sony reportedly cancels another The Last of Us multiplayer project

In June 2026, modder Speclizer was developing a multiplayer mode for The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC, inspired by the wave-based roguelike ‘No Return’. The promising mod featured custom loadouts and Team Deathmatch against other players.

Sadly, Speclizer confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that Sony PlayStation has shut down The Last of Us Part II Remastered multiplayer mod.

“Hey everyone, as you all know, the TLOU 2 Multiplayer mod that has been in development since January was supposed to release this month. Unfortunately, I recently received a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting for the mod not to be released,” tweeted Speclizer.

“Extremely sad that this never got to see the light of day, but I hope you'll continue to follow me on the next project, this time something of my own. Thank you all for the incredible amount of support over the last year. I hope to bring you something bigger and better soon!”

It’s certainly a sad day for fans who had been waiting to play this promising multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II Remastered, especially during a time when it seems like Sony PlayStation has no interest in releasing an official The Last of Us multiplayer game of its own. But given that this multiplayer mod is not official, Sony PlayStation has every right to do with it what it pleases.

READ MORE: The Last of Us Part 3 looks to finally be in development as Naughty Dog confirms new project

Sony cancels Hideo Kojima’s PlayStation 6 exclusive

News of Sony PlayStation cancelling The Last of Us Part II Remastered multiplayer mod comes just days after it had officially cancelled its upcoming PlayStation 6 first-party title, Physint.

However, as soon as this Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor was cancelled by Sony PlayStation, it didn't take long for Microsoft to claim the Kojima Productions project as its own. As they say, when one door closes, another door opens.

As for what the future holds for The Last of Us Part III, that’s anyone’s guess at the moment. The third game in the series has seemingly been teased by Naughty Dog, but at the time of writing, no official announcement has been made.

All we know for sure right now is that Naughty Dog’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, should be released on PlayStation 5 sometime in 2027.