The Last of Us Part 2was supposed to get a Factions mode like the first game, pitting players against each other as they scramble for resources. However, it was delayed and repurposed into a standalone spin-off, but news has been scarce in the three years since it started development. We’ve heard it was scaled down and thatDestiny 2developer Bungie led an internal review that ended in negative results, but little else has surfaced.
Now,Kotakureports that it’s “basically on ice at this point”. Contracts are being cut early for dozens of workers, with the majority of those affected being in quality assurance testing. In total, 25 developers have reportedly been laid off, but full-time staff appear to be unaffected.
However, those who have been let go are not being offered severance, and remaining devs are allegedly being pressured to stay quiet. According to Kotaku, the contracts will now terminate at the end of October. Devs are expected to continue working until that time.
Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Sony was “reevaluating” the project while moving developers onto other things. Naughty Dog has developed multiplayer modes forUnchartedand The Last of Us in the past, but never a live-service game. They’re standalone and continuously supported, coming with lofty expectations of regular, substantial updates and content, so it’s an entirely different beast.
Sony bought Bungie not only for Destiny and its portfolio of other games, but its expertise in developing live-service titles to help PlayStation branch out and compete with the likes ofCall of DutyandFortnite. We quickly saw the results of this acquisition in its evaluation of Factions, which between lay-offs, restructuring, and reevaluations,appears to be on its last legs.
Prior to Kotaku’s report, Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells announced his retirement after 19 years with the studio. Uncharted and The Last of Us lead co-writer and creative director Neil Druckmann revealed, in lieu of this news, that there would be a restructuring of the studio leadership. What all of this means for Factions, and when - or if - it will come out is unclear.
Layoffs have been plaguing the game industry all year. Last week,Epic Games announced it was firing 900 devs,while only yesterday, it came to light that 50 roles at Team17, making up the majority of the QA department, were at risk. Creative Assembly also saw layoffs last week afterSega cancelled the upcoming hero shooter Hyenas. Saints Row developer Volition, meanwhile, shut its doors earlier this year, while EA laid off developers working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.2023 has been an awful year for the industry.
