The Last of Us Part 2 will not have a multiplayer mode

The Last of Us is one of the most beloved games of the decade. Everyone who enjoyed it remembers it for Naughty Dog’s impeccable storytelling but the survival game found a small yet devoted crowd for its multiplayer mode. With The Last of Us Part 2 on the way, many fans have been wondering if it’ll replicate the first game’s PVP multiplayer.

Sadly, despite saying otherwise at E3 2018, Naughty Dog will not be including a multiplayer mode in The Last of Us Part 2. In an interview with Polygon, Anthony Newman, the game’s co-director, explained it was planned at one point but was scrapped to focus on the story.

“Multiplayer will not be included with The Last of Us Part 2,” said Newman. “I know we had kind of announced that [it would have multiplayer], but as the game has developed, it’s become so ambitious, so grand in scope, and so intricate in its complexity, that it really required the full focus of the studio to deliver this single-player experience.”

Fans of the mode have been both confused and upset by this news today. Recent job postings on Naughty Dog’s website indicated they were looking for multiplayer developers but it seems this may be for another game unrelated to The Last of Us Part 2. Regardless, the highly-anticipated PS4 exclusive is reportedly so big that it’ll ship on two discs without any sort of multiplayer mode.

Of course, it’s entirely possible it could get added in as post-launch content later down the line but don’t hold your breath.

In case you missed it, The Last of Us Part 2 got a brand new story-heavy trailer this week which showcased an older Joel, a hardened Ellie, and the release date! We also got a slew of special editions with various goodies.

The Last of Us Part 2 will release exclusively for PS4 on February 21st, 2020.