The Last of Us Part 2 Multiplayer Lives On as PvP Mod Due Out Later This Year

Naughty Dog may have canceled its The Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer project, but Factions fans can now look forward to a new PvP mode—if they're on PC.

Modder Speclizer has uploaded 25 minutes of early gameplay for a mod they're working on that allows players to go head-to-head as Abby, Ellie, and potentially other characters from the PlayStation series. The video reveals that development started in January 2026 and is expected to launch this September.

Currently a bit rough around the edges, the mod seems to feature a relatively fleshed-out PvP mode. The early moments of the video highlight a matchmaking system, maps, and loadout selections. Is it exactly what Naughty Dog had planned for The Last of Us Online? Probably not, and it's only coming to PC for now, but it might help fill the void for players.

Those eager for a multiplayer spin on a post-apocalyptic story can also check Speclizer's X/Twitter account for updates. Since development began, they've regularly posted progress. A June 13 video shows footage of school, Seattle, and gas station maps. A May update featured their first 1v1 match. Other videos suggest the modder has toyed with including other playable characters (like Dina) and costumes (like Ellie's spacesuit).

It's hard to say what will end up in the mod as Speclizer continues working on it. For now, it looks like The Last of Us fans wanting to revisit Naughty Dog's acclaimed gameplay might have something to keep them busy this September.

The PlayStation studio canceled its long-gestating multiplayer offshoot in late 2023, promising to focus on single-player games. Its last new story, The Last of Us Part 2, launched almost exactly six years ago in June 2020. Its next, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, remains without a release date.

"In ramping up to full production, the massive scope of our ambition became clear," Naughty Dog said at the time of The Last of Us Online's cancellation. "To release and support The Last of Us Online we’d have to put all our studio resources behind supporting post-launch content for years to come, severely impacting development on future single-player games. So, we had two paths: become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage."

While Speclizer works to fill the void, we may never know what the PlayStation studio had planned for its evolution of the Factions mode from the original The Last of Us. Former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shuhei Yoshida said last year that the version he was aware of was "great." Vinit Agarwal, who once served as director for The Last of Us Part 2's multiplayer spin-off, said earlier this year that it was nearly 80% complete at the time of cancellation.