The Last Of Us Returns With Surprise New Release For Gamers

3 hours ago 20

Published Jun 27, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.

Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.

Despite originally planning on launching a multiplayer version of The Last of Us, titled The Last of Us Online, the project was canceled back in 2023 after Naughty Dog decided that it was not ready to fully support a live-service title, and instead wanted to retain its focus on developing single-player, narrative-driven games.

Whilst the decision made sense, many fans were left feeling disappointed, especially those who enjoyed the Factions element of The Last of Us in previous years. However, now two years on and it seems as though there is hope, as The Last of Us Part II will finally receive a multiplayer mode, but there is a slight catch: it will not come courtesy of Sony, and it will not be available on the PlayStation 5.

This news comes courtesy of up-and-coming modder, Specilizer, a creator who is no stranger to working on various mods for The Last of Us. This time, they have been working on a highly requested multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II, and the exciting news is that it is set to launch this September.

In development since January of this year, those interested can check out 25-minutes of the mod in action, and it is incredible to see this and remember that it is not an official project by Naughty Dog itself. We can see a lobby system which is a key feature in many multiplayer games, alongside matches that can be played across various maps from the game.

With many fans left disappointed when Naughty Dog canceled The Last of Us Online when it was reportedly 80% through development, we can already imagine the amount of users flocking to Specilizer's mod when it launches later this year. Not only that, but the YouTube comments on the aforementioned video are enough to give us an idea about its popularity.

"This is the coolest thing happening in TLOU right now," the top comment reads. "This is actually one of the coolest projects I have ever kept up with. Fantastic work!" Another said, referring to the multiple progress videos shared on Specilizer's YouTube channel.

"This is absolutely incredible," another comment read. "I say it every update, but sincerely. Hoping the Factions community can come together and support and also offer valuable feedback so this can get refined over time and truly be something special forever."

As mentioned, the unofficial The Last of Us Part 2 Multiplayer Mod will launch this September, and it is here that we will finally see if Specilizer's project will live up to the hype and finally give The Last of Us fans the online mode they have been waiting for.