Developer Naughty Dog is teasing fans with a sneak peek at the new standalone multiplayer title set in the world of The Last of Us as the series approaches its 10-year anniversary. The developer has also pledged to give fans more information about the game later this year.
The new sneak peek that Naughty Dog released for the multiplayer title is a single piece of concept art, which could be a map for the future title. In the concept art, we are shown two survivors as they comb the ruins of a massive cruise liner, which could be demonstrating a new level of verticality for the multiplayer mode.
While there are no concrete details on what the multiplayer might look like, The Last of Us and the 2014 Remaster both had a multiplayer mode called Factions, which have had dedicated fan bases since their respective launches. Factions took the weighty combat and scarce resources from the single-player mode, blending those elements with multiplayer staples to create something unique. Time will tell how the gameplay improvements of The Last of Us 2 will affect the new multiplayer title.
One element that is being heavily talked up by Naughty Dog, specifically co-president Neil Druckman, is the narrative of this multiplayer experience. According to Druckman, the narrative is "shaping up to be a fresh, new experience from our studio, but one rooted in Naughty Dog’s passion for delivering incredible stories, characters, and gameplay." He further hints, "It’s got a story. The way we’re telling the story is very unique to this game".
The exact extent of what this means is unknown, but there are a few multiplayer titles that could be seen as a template for this design. The first Titanfall, developed by Respawn Entertainment, used a hybrid multiplayer story that had complete narrative arcs and could be experienced by both factions in the game. This new multiplayer title could use a similar structure allowing for interesting story developments.
The promise of more details later this year is also coupled with the news of the "franchise's future", according to Druckman. While this statement is vague, this could be anything from an announcement of a third game to more multimedia projects like The Last of Us on HBO. While fans wait for more details, they can catch The Last of Us on HBO and HBO Max starting January 15.