Factions | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:21:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Factions | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Naughty Dog officially scraps plans for The Last of Us multiplayer game https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/naughty-dog-officially-scraps-plans-for-the-last-of-us-multiplayer-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/naughty-dog-officially-scraps-plans-for-the-last-of-us-multiplayer-game/#respond Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:00:19 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=641022 Since the release of The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog has been working away on an expanded multiplayer game to follow up on The Last of Us: Factions. Unfortunately, after several years of development, the studio has now decided to pull the plug.  In a statement published last night, Naughty Dog confirmed that …

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Since the release of The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog has been working away on an expanded multiplayer game to follow up on The Last of Us: Factions. Unfortunately, after several years of development, the studio has now decided to pull the plug. 

In a statement published last night, Naughty Dog confirmed that it has decided to cancel ‘The Last of Us Online', the internal name used to describe the project. As Naughty Dog began “ramping up to full production” it realised just how much of an undertaking it truly was and that it would likely impact development of the studio's upcoming single-player games. Given that Naughty Dog is one of the best in the industry when it comes to story-driven games, it would have been a huge shame to see the company transition into a multiplayer-focused studio.

Naughty Dog specifically notes that if it continued with this project, it would have had to transform into “a solely live service games studio”. Like many Naughty Dog fans, those within the company did not want to go down this path. As a result, The Last of Us multiplayer project is no longer going to release.

It is unclear why Naughty Dog was attempting to build such a massive multiplayer project when many fans simply wanted a new version of the barebones multiplayer from the original The Last of Us game. Still, it looks like Naughty Dog will now refocus its efforts purely on single-player games once again.

KitGuru Says: A number of traditionally single-player studios have run into huge issues transitioning to live service multiplayer. Crystal Dynamics with Marvel's Avengers, Bioware with Anthem and PlatinumGames with Babylon's Fall are a few examples that immediately spring to mind. The jury is still out on Rocksteady with its Suicide Squad game, but there are plenty of other examples. Even Bungie struggled for years getting Destiny to a point that players were happy with, only for much of that effort to be squandered this year with the Lightfall expansion, which led to players dropping the game in large numbers.  

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The Last of Us Factions director refutes rumours of its death https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-factions-director-refutes-rumours-of-its-death/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-factions-director-refutes-rumours-of-its-death/#respond Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:00:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=636472 Naughty Dog have been working on a standalone multiplayer project set in the world of The Last of Us for quite a few years now. That said, with minimal updates since the game’s announcement, reports were released claiming that the title has been put on ice. The game’s director has now released a brief statement …

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Naughty Dog have been working on a standalone multiplayer project set in the world of The Last of Us for quite a few years now. That said, with minimal updates since the game’s announcement, reports were released claiming that the title has been put on ice. The game’s director has now released a brief statement suggesting that this is in fact not the case.

Taking to Twitter, the game director for The Last of Us multiplayer project ‘Vinit Agarwal’ shared a picture showing that they had completed the recently-released Super Mario Bros. Wonder, saying “I did it! Wow that was hard, easily 300+ Marios dead in the process. And so this tweet can live on in peace… yes, I’m still working on that game.”

‘That game’ of course is referring to The Last of Us Multiplayer Project, which was reported to have been put on ice last month following a review by Bungie, with Kotaku at the time saying “while not completely canceled, is basically on ice at this point.”

The Last of Us’ Factions mode was a genuinely fun and engaging time, and so developing a standalone live-service title which features the excellent gameplay of Part II could make for a highly-successful title. As such, it is exciting to see that reports of the game’s death have seemingly been greatly exaggerated. That said, we will have to wait and see.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Agarwal’s statement? Will The Last of Us Multiplayer Project ever see the light of day? What did you think of Part II’s gameplay? Let us know down below.

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The Last of Us’ multiplayer project reportedly put ‘on ice’ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-multiplayer-project-reportedly-put-on-ice/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-multiplayer-project-reportedly-put-on-ice/#respond Wed, 04 Oct 2023 08:30:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=632840 Despite being known for its story, 2013’s The Last of Us featured a rather fun multiplayer mode known as Factions. Ahead of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog confirmed that the sequel would not include a Factions mode – with the team instead working on a standalone multiplayer project. Since then, the title has seemingly struggled to find an identity – with it reportedly now being put on ice.

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Despite being known for its story, 2013’s The Last of Us featured a rather fun multiplayer mode known as Factions. Ahead of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II, Naughty Dog confirmed that the sequel would not include a Factions mode – with the team instead working on a standalone multiplayer project. Since then, the title has seemingly struggled to find an identity – with it reportedly now being put on ice.

Yesterday we reported that Naughty Dog followed many other studios in laying off a portion of its staff – in this instance cutting a couple dozen contractors. According to Kotaku, the bad news continues, as the studio’s long-in-development multiplayer title has reportedly been halted, saying “while not completely canceled, is basically on ice at this point.”

This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard about the studio’s multiplayer struggles, with Bloomberg claiming back in June that resources were being moved away from this title following reviews by Sony and live-service giant ‘Bungie’. It seems as though the situation has unfortunately not improved in the months since.

As mentioned, The Last of Us’ Factions mode was a genuinely fun and engaging time, and Naughty Dog seemed to be giving this standalone multiplayer title their all. Had the game managed to deliver a successful live-service system while featuring TLOU Part II’s excellent gameplay, then the team could have had a massive hit on their hands. Unfortunately, it seems as though the title may never get the chance to prove itself.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest development? Are you disappointed? What did you think of The Last of Us Part II’s gameplay? Let us know down below.

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The Last of Us Factions goes through development shake-up following Bungie review https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-last-of-us-factions-goes-through-development-shake-up-following-bungie-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-last-of-us-factions-goes-through-development-shake-up-following-bungie-review/#respond Sun, 28 May 2023 09:45:54 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=617051 Ever since The Last of Us Part II launched, fans have been waiting for Naughty Dog's planned multiplayer spin-off, The Last of Us Factions. Unfortunately, even after years of development, it doesn't look like the game is close to launch and the size of the development team was recently scaled back.  According to a Bloomberg …

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Ever since The Last of Us Part II launched, fans have been waiting for Naughty Dog's planned multiplayer spin-off, The Last of Us Factions. Unfortunately, even after years of development, it doesn't look like the game is close to launch and the size of the development team was recently scaled back. 

According to a Bloomberg report, Bungie has recently been internally reviewing all of Sony's live service projects. After taking a look at The Last of Us Factions, the team came away with concerns over player engagement. As a result, the project is going through a shake-up, with a number of developers now being moved on to other projects. Continued development on The Last of Us Factions will take place with a smaller team.

Alongside the report, Naughty Dog put out its own statement addressing the game, stating that the game needs more time.

Sony recently confirmed in its latest earnings report that it is utilising Bungie's strengths in multiplayer and live service to internally review all major live-service projects. The feedback provided is leading to changes like this.

KitGuru Says: Sony is said to have roughly ten live service projects in development right now and as we saw in the recent PlayStation Showcase, this is something the company plans to continue investing in.

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The Last of Us’ Factions game might be free-to-play https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-factions-game-might-be-free-to-play/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-factions-game-might-be-free-to-play/#respond Thu, 27 Oct 2022 08:30:32 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=580239 For years now we have known that Naughty Dog is working on a standalone multiplayer ‘Factions’ game set in the world of The Last of Us. While little has been revealed regarding this game – aside from a few sparse quotes and one single piece of concept art – a new job listing seems to …

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For years now we have known that Naughty Dog is working on a standalone multiplayer ‘Factions’ game set in the world of The Last of Us. While little has been revealed regarding this game – aside from a few sparse quotes and one single piece of concept art – a new job listing seems to suggest that the game might be free-to-play.

As discovered by ResetEra user ‘Det’ Naughty Dog recently published a new job listing for the role of ‘Producer – Live Ops’ in which under the bonus skills section it asks for: “Proven experience in a production role supporting a AAA, free to play, live title.”

While in no way confirmation, this does seem to suggest that the Factions game could be free-to-play in nature. Most newly released live-service titles adopt the free-to-play model with many seeing great success in doing so. That being said, there are an equal number of online games which require an upfront payment. Both methods of game distribution are viable, as long as the game itself is designed correctly around the monetary structure.

Sony has relatively little experience in live-service titles, however the console manufacturer has made this a sticking point for many of its future releases, with up to 10 live-service titles potentially on their way from Sony. With so many online games in the works, it will be interesting to see what approach Naughty Dog ends up taking for The Last of Us Factions.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the job listing? Do you believe it will be free-to-play? Should it be? Let us know down below.

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TLOU’s standalone multiplayer game detailed https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/tlous-standalone-multiplayer-game-detailed/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/tlous-standalone-multiplayer-game-detailed/#respond Fri, 10 Jun 2022 05:30:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=563909 Ever since Naughty Dog announced that they were spinning The Last of Us Part II’s originally-planned multiplayer mode into a standalone experience, fans have been eagerly awaiting for more news on the game. Finally, the studio has started to speak on the game, offering the first details while also claiming it to be “an extremely …

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Ever since Naughty Dog announced that they were spinning The Last of Us Part II’s originally-planned multiplayer mode into a standalone experience, fans have been eagerly awaiting for more news on the game. Finally, the studio has started to speak on the game, offering the first details while also claiming it to be “an extremely ambitious undertaking.”

Discussing the game on the PlayStation Blog – alongside the announcement of a Remake for The Last of Us Part 1 – Rochelle Snyder, the Senior Manager of Communications at Naughty Dog, said:

“It’s no secret that many of you are not only drawn to The Last of Us’ stories but also the game’s original Factions multiplayer. Since The Last of Us Factions’ release almost a decade ago, dedicated players have been vocal about an expansion upon that offering.”

With that, they offered the first real details on this game, saying “we can finally announce that we’re creating something much larger than a mode. We’re thrilled to share a piece of concept art from our upcoming multiplayer experience, which is an extremely ambitious undertaking.”

It seems this game is still quite far away, as Snyder confirmed that “We’re growing our studio significantly to ensure we build this full-scale, standalone game, with its massive scope and immense world, in a way that fans have come to expect from The Last of Us and Naughty Dog.”

Giving us a slight insight into the game’s release window, they concluded by stating that “We aim to make our newest entry into multiplayer inviting to new players while still a thrilling challenge for more of our seasoned fans. There will be more news to come next year, and we cannot wait to introduce you to the team behind this new experience!”

The Last of Us Factions was a highly fun and engaging multiplayer experience. While it is somewhat disappointing to see that we will not be getting its successor until at least 2023, the announcement of a remake for Part 1 should be more than enough to tide fans over – and Naughty Dog have earned the right to take their time with their games. Hopefully it surpasses expectations.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for the multiplayer title? What do you think of the concept art? Did you play the original Factions multiplayer mode? Let us know down below.

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The Last of Us Part II might get a Battle Royale mode https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-part-ii-might-get-a-battle-royale-mode/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/the-last-of-us-part-ii-might-get-a-battle-royale-mode/#respond Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:47:29 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=527829 Ever since the release of The Last of Us Part II in 2020, fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of the game’s standalone Factions multiplayer mode. Though it is taking much longer than some may have expected, it appears to be for a good reason, as the upcoming title may feature a Battle Royale mode.

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Ever since the release of The Last of Us Part II in 2020, fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of the game’s standalone Factions multiplayer mode. Though it is taking much longer than some may have expected, it appears to be for a good reason, as the upcoming title may feature a Battle Royale mode.

When The Last of Us released in 2013, it arrived with a surprisingly fun and robust multiplayer mode. Dubbed Factions, the mode garnered a dedicated group of fans. As such, when the game’s sequel was announced, many fans were excited for the new Factions mode just as much as the campaign itself.

Unfortunately, prior to Part II’s release, the team at Naughty Dog revealed that the new game would not launch with a multiplayer mode – however, it would come down the line. While fans are still waiting for Factions 2, data miners have seemingly discovered some of the upcoming game’s features.

As discovered by data miner ‘Speclizer The Last of Us Part II includes within it many hints to what fans can expect from the upcoming Factions mode, including a potential Battle Royale mode, saying “The locations, which include Adler Park, Camallito and Port of Camallito, suggest it would be made up of several single player areas merged together to create a map large enough to host a Battle Royale mode, with points of interest including Motel, Gas Station and more.”

Furthermore, they discovered a compass, player count indicator and an emote wheel, all of which are typically associated with Battle Royale games. While the Battle Royale genre is somewhat saturated in 2021, Naughty Dog managed to create a unique spin on multiplayer games in 2013, and it is safe to assume that the team will similarly put their own spin on the Battle Royale genre – if Factions 2 does indeed feature the mode.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Factions? Are you excited for the new game? Do you think a Last of Us BR would be fun? Let us know down below.

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The Last of Us Part II won’t have multiplayer, but a standalone multiplayer spin-off is coming https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-last-of-us-part-ii-wont-have-multiplayer-but-a-standalone-multiplayer-spin-off-is-coming/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-last-of-us-part-ii-wont-have-multiplayer-but-a-standalone-multiplayer-spin-off-is-coming/#respond Fri, 27 Sep 2019 10:12:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=427642 The Last of Us is fondly remembered as one of the all-time great single-player story-driven games. However, Naughty Dog also popped a multiplayer mode in to the original game that grew to maintain quite a large following. This week after The Last of Us Part II previews began going up, it came to light that …

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The Last of Us is fondly remembered as one of the all-time great single-player story-driven games. However, Naughty Dog also popped a multiplayer mode in to the original game that grew to maintain quite a large following. This week after The Last of Us Part II previews began going up, it came to light that there was no multiplayer mode this time around, although Naughty Dog says it will be coming eventually as a separate game.

On a personal note, I'm not really looking for a multiplayer matchmaking session in a game like The Last of Us, but quite a few dedicated fans are. To address those fans, Naughty Dog put out a statement last night saying that The Last of Us Part II is “the most ambitious” single-player campaign that the studio has ever undertaken and the online team's multiplayer scope also grew to a point where separating the two modes seemed like the best path.

Here is the full statement from Naughty Dog: “We wanted to address multiplayer in The Last of Us Part II. As we've stated, the single player campaign is far and away the most ambitious project Naughty Dog has ever undertaken. Likewise, as development began on the evolution of our Factions mode from The Last of Us Part I, the vision of the team grew beyond an additional mode that could be included with our enormous single player campaign. Wanting to support both visions, we made the difficult choice that The Last of Us Part II would not include an online mode”.

The statement goes on to say: “However, you will eventually experience the fruits of our team's online ambition, but now as part of The Last of Us Part II. When and where it will be realised is still to be determined. But rest assured, we are as big a fan of Factions as the rest of our community and are excited to share more when it's ready”.

So rather than being a post-launch update to The Last of Us Part II, the series will be getting a standalone multiplayer game available as a separate package. Whether or not this will be free still remains to be seen but as an entirely separate game, it seems like we can expect some big changes.

KitGuru Says: The Last of Us is getting its own multiplayer spin-off while the rest of Naughty Dog focuses on delivering its best single-player campaign to date. For me, that is something I'm happy to live with, although there are still some upset fans floating around social media. How do you all feel about this? Should multiplayer be in the main game, or will it work better as its own spin-off? 

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