Naughty Dog's 'The Last of Us' Multiplayer Spin-Off Hits Pause Amid Layoffs

Naughty Dog, the first-party video game developer owned by Sony Group Corp. SONY, is reportedly facing layoffs, primarily affecting around 25 quality assurance contractors working on the troubled multiplayer spin-off of "The Last of Us."

According to Kotaku, these contractors are expected to have their contracts cut short, and there will be no severance offered. Naughty Dog's headcount was over 400 in July, and no full-time staff seem to be affected.

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"The Last of Us" multiplayer spin-off project is said to be "on ice" but not completely canceled, aligning with previous reports from Bloomberg questioning its quality and viability.

Naughty Dog had previously stated that the game needed more time for development. "We know many of you have been looking forward to hearing more about our The Last of Us multiplayer game," Naughty Dog said in May.

"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." the developer noted. "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."

This is part of a broader trend in the video game industry, with other major studios also facing layoffs this year. 

In addition to this news, Naughty Dog recently released a PC port of The Last of Us 1, which received mixed reviews for performance issues.

Additionally, Evan Wells, co-president of Naughty Dog, announced his retirement, leaving Neil Druckmann to lead the studio, while Druckmann is also working on the second season of the successful HBO series, The Last of Us.

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Image credits: ArtemisDiana on Shutterstock.