The LinkedIn profile of a former Naughty Dog contractor suggests that The Last of Us multiplayer would have supported up to 40 players. We say “would have” because all signs and reports point towards the game being iced, but Sony and Naughty Dog have yet to confirm its status.
What we know about The Last of Us multiplayer
The LinkedIn profile in question was spotted by a Reddit user and belongs to one Ian Blake who worked for Naughty Dog for nearly two years through a staffing services company. Blake worked on The Last of Us Part 1 in 2022, following which he moved on to an “unannounced multiplayer project.” No prize for guessing what that is.
“Worked in a dedicated host environment, designing and optimizing for up to 40 clients,” reads Blake’s role description. This could potentially mean 40-player lobbies. Up until a year ago, job descriptions suggested that TLOU’s multiplayer may be free-to-play. Shortly afterwards, Naughty Dog hired a former Fortnite Battle Pass designer, corroborating reports that Sony was eyeing a major live service revenue stream.
Unfortunately, the hype was killed this year when reports emerged that TLOU multiplayer is in development hell. Not long afterwards, Naughty Dog laid off a number of employees working on the project.
