The director of the cancelled Last of Us Online game has announced that he is moving to Japan to open a new game studio.
Spotted by PushSquare, Vinit Agarwal, the former game director for the cancelled Last of Us Online game, has posted a new update on his X account (formerly Twitter). Agarwal’s new post reveals that he is moving to Japan today, and is “forming a new game studio”; more details on this studio will be revealed “soon”.
The Last of Us Online was shaping up to be a major multiplayer live-service title that would redefine how Naughty Dog approaches the gaming industry. According to reports and other details, the game was expected to be an extraction-style shooter experience set in The Last of Us universe, where players could access a large map to loot, complete tasks, fight other players, and then leave.
However, in 2023, Naughty Dog confirmed that they would not be moving ahead with The Last of Us multiplayer title as they would not be able to support the live-service title. Naughty Dog stated that they had two options: either “become a solely live service games studio or continue to focus on single-player narrative games that have defined Naughty Dog’s heritage”. And, they ended up choosing the latter.
This decision did not change how the director of the cancelled Last of Us title approaches the industry. In a post from a few days ago, Agarwal revealed that he is “going to continue making multiplayer games” as that is what he is “passionate about”.
In other news, Shuhei Yoshida thought The Last of Us online was great when he played it. Additionally, The Last of Us 2: Remastered has received a new free update that allows players to experience the story chronologically. What are your thoughts on the director of the cancelled Last of Us online title opening a new studio in Japan? Let us know through the official Insider Gaming forums discussion.
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To colonize Japan? Sounds horrible