The Last of Us Multiplayer Spin-Off “On Ice” Following Reported Layoffs

Naughty Dog is clearly going through it this week after reports began circulating that the studio is laying off its current staff. While the staff members have until the end of October to continue working, it seems nothing is stopping them from leaking a few bits of information.

Kotaku reported that the layoffs are made up of 25 members of the 400-person staff, most of whom are Quality Assurance (QA) members who will have their contracts cut short.

However, when it comes to the state of the long-awaited The Last of Us Multiplayer Spin-Off, Kotaku reports that a staff member told them, “basically on ice,” although it is not “completely canceled.”

The multiplayer mode has been promised to players since the launch of The Last of Us II, but the team doesn’t seem to have it together, with the rollout being delayed several times with updates beginning to not come up at all. The most recent being in May when the team shared, “We’re incredibly proud of the job our studio has done thus far, but as development has continued, we’ve realized what is best for the game is to give it more time. Our team will continue to work on the project, as well as our other games in development, including a brand new single-player experience; we look forward to sharing more soon. We’re grateful to our fantastic community for your support —- thank you for your passion for our games; it continues to drive us.”

We’ll keep you updated on the state of The Last of Us Multiplayer.