The Last of Ushad a fairly hit-or-miss 2023 with its live-action adaptation arguably preventing an underwhelming reception of the franchise. The premise of a multiplayer-exclusiveLast of Usgame was exciting for anyone who thoroughly enjoyed the original game’s Factions mode, though its development always seemed to be an uphill battle with each new update that was given to it this year. Thankfully,The Last of Us’ HBO showallowed the franchise to maintain its popularity.
Given the reaction toThe Last of Us Part 1and the remake’s PC portfrom the year before, this year’s announcement of aPart 2remaster was smart to avoid the same fate by throwing in all the content it has included in it. That’s going to hopefully help kick-start another positive frame of mind for the franchise despite it not having any new installments announced, andThe Last of Us’ second season beginning filming in 2024 might once again be the balm the franchise needs now that it’s 2024 will be similarly light onLast of Usgaming content.
The Last of Us’ Franchise Will Be Just as Sparse in 2024 as It was in 2023
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Launches in January
The Last of Us Part 2’s remasterreleases on July 01, 2025. TheLast of Usfranchise’s latest remaster may have been a simple current-gen upgrade with graphical enhancements like Naughty Dog has put out before if it wasn’t for a wonderful handful of new gameplay content at a respectable price point for anyone who already ownsPart 2on PS4:
The Last of Us Online is No Longer on the Table
It’s not clear whenThe Last of Us’ standalone multiplayer gamewould’ve been released, but right as 2023 is coming to a close Naughty Dog has confessed that it’s canceled the game outright to instead concentrate on single-player games. TitledThe Last of Us Onlineinternally, the game would have been tremendously ambitious and pooled enough development resources to reshape Naughty Dog’s output expectations entirely, and thus it was abandoned so that the studio could retain the identity it’s known for.
It’s unlikely thatThe Last of Us Onlinecould’ve been a 2024 game after how tumultuous its development seemed while it was still trudging along anyway, but now any possibility of that occurring has been understandably dashed.
The Last of Us’ Next Games May Be a Long Ways Away
If a new single-playerLast of Usgame hasn’t already been announced, there’s an incredibly high likelihood that one won’t come out until at least 2025 and even that seems generously optimistic. Based on Naughty Dog’s admission of what resources would have needed to be pooled for the multiplayer game, it seems like the studio would only be diving fully into development on a new single-player game now that it no longer has any plans for live-service endeavors.
Of course, it’ll be interesting to see what it decides to make a priority sinceNaughty Dog has multiple single-player games in the pipeline. But without any of them currently announced or revealed it is anyone’s guess whether the next one will in fact be an entry in theLast of Us’ franchise or not, let alone when it could potentially come out.
The Last of Us’ HBO Show Has to Hold Down the Fort
BecauseThe Last of Us’ well seems dry on the gaming front, filming and production details forThe Last of Us’ HBO TV show may be all that’s left to keep the franchise thriving in 2024 afterThe Last of Us Part 2’s remaster releases in the year’s first few weeks. Of course, the official announcement of Abby’s casting will be a huge moment that could carry that excitement and controversy all throughout the year.
Then, when set photos inevitably find their way to the internet they will rehash all the same anticipation that was generated during the filming of the firstLast of Usgame’s adaptation. Plus, such details could hint as to how HBO is attempting to approach an adaptation ofThe Last of Us Part 2in its second season.
The Last of Us Part 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
