A fan-made multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II has been shut down following a request from Sony Interactive Entertainment. Modder Speclizer announced the cancellation on Twitter, stating that they received a letter from Sony "requesting for the mod not to be released."
Speclizer had been providing updates on the mod's development on YouTube throughout the past year, with recent videos garnering over 100,000 views. The project aimed to bring a playable multiplayer experience to The Last of Us Part II, a feature that Naughty Dog officially canceled in 2023.
While the specifics of Sony's letter were not disclosed, some speculate that the company's intervention may have been prompted by Speclizer's decision to offer access to the mod through a Patreon subscription. This practice has, in the past, led to similar actions against other fan projects.
The original Factions multiplayer mode for The Last of Us is accessible in the PlayStation 4 remaster of the first game, but was not included in the Part I remake released on PS5 in 2022. With Sony's action against this fan endeavor and the official multiplayer game canceled, the future of multiplayer within The Last of Us franchise remains uncertain, particularly as original server support may eventually cease.
Naughty Dog has, however, recently indicated that a third installment in The Last of Us series may be in development.