It’s old news that the Co-director of The Last of Us Part II announced a multiplayer component would be coming to the game. This was back at E3 2018, and we didn’t have any details then. All we had was a quote: ‘There is going to be multiplayer with the game,” Newman said. “We’re really excited to share details about it, but that’s going to be at a later date.’
It took a while, but we finally have new details on what The Last of Us 2’s multiplayer component will look like. Co-president of Naughty Dog, Neil Druckmann, released new info on the multiplayer component recently at the ongoing 2022 Summer Games Fest. Druckmann said that Naughty Dog isn’t ready for too much of a reveal about the game at this stage, but that the multiplayer component of The Last of Us II will launch as a standalone game. He added that the new standalone multiplayer experience will be just as big as the single-player alternatives, ‘and in some ways, bigger.’
Naughty Dog may not have revealed as much as players would have wanted, but Druckmann was willing to let a few aspects of the new game slip. ‘It’s got a story. The way we’re telling the story is very unique to this game. It has a brand-new cast of characters. It takes place in another part of the United States.’
While this isn’t an overwhelming amount of information, there is something to be said for keeping such an exciting experience somewhat of a surprise to the players. In addition to all of the little hints he shared, Druckmann also presented a piece of stunning concept art that could give more hints as to what the game could look like. The image pictured above shows two characters in an apparent state of fear and anguish, overlooking what looks to be an apocalyptic city.
Druckmann has yet to announce a release date, but he has assured players that more information will be released next year. We might not have to wait years for new The Last of Us content, however. While Naughty Dog hasn’t made any official announcements, whisperings in the dark corners of the gaming web suggest that we might see a remake of The Last of Us in 2022.