The Last of Us Part II won't have multiplayer, contradicting previous reports

What you need to know

• The Last of Us Part II recently had a media event, with different outlets allowed to play a couple of hours in the game.
• An interview with USGamer indicates that multiplayer will not be a part of The Last of Us Part II, information re-confirmed by Sony PR in an email.
• This doesn't line up with statements previously made from the game's co-directors.
• The Last of Us Part II is set to release on February 21, 2020 and can be preordered for $60.

Update: Naughty Dog has provided some additional context and clarification.

In an update, Naughty Dog provided the following message on Twitter, stating that while the team was working on an online mode, they made the choice to focus all efforts into the singleplayer portion. With that said, they are making it clear players will still "experience the fruits of our team's online ambition" just not as a part of The Last of Us Part II.

Based on this message, it sounds like what was being developed as a Factions mode has been turned into its own standalone game. We'll have to wait and see but for now, this should bring hope to fans of the original game's online section.

Original story below

While The Last of Us Part II finally has a release date and fans everywhere are excited, there's an odd bit of news coming out. According to USGamer, The Last of Us Part II will not feature multiplayer at all. USgamer first learned this information in an interview at the recent media event, then had the new re-confirmed to them in an email from Sony PR.

This news directly contradicts previous statements from the game's co-directors. Co-director Anthony Newman told Gamespot in 2018 that "Factions is coming back." Co-director Kurt Margenau added "Multiplayer is coming back. We're not going to talk details yet about what form that takes, but we can confirm there will be multiplayer." Polygon was given similar information, with Newman stating to the outlet that "There is going to be multiplayer with the game," as well as "We're really excited to share details about it, but that's going to be at a later date."

In the original game, there was a multiplayer mode called Factions, which tasked players with working with either the Hunters or the Fireflies. While it wasn't the game's selling point, it attracted a fair audience and group of fans who loved the stealthy, brutal nature of the online mode.

We'll keep you updated on any new developments in this story. In the meanwhile, if you'd like to learn more about the game, our own Brandon Russell got to play a couple of hours at a recent media event and wrote up his impressions here. The Last of Us Part II is set to release exclusively on the PlayStation 4 on February 21, 2020.