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Ex-Microsoft Exec: TLOU Online Cancel Was Right Call
10 Apr
Summary
- Naughty Dog cancelled 'The Last of Us Online' despite being near completion.
- A former Microsoft executive supported Naughty Dog's decision.
- The studio prioritizes its single-player narrative games over live service.
Former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer Laura Fryer believes Naughty Dog's cancellation of "The Last of Us Online" was the correct course of action. The multiplayer spin-off was reportedly nearing 80% completion before the studio pulled the plug in 2023.
Fryer explained that Naughty Dog made a difficult but necessary decision to avoid becoming solely a live service games studio. She pointed out that the ambition for the game, which had been in development for seven years, lacked realistic upfront planning for its long-term support.
She suggested that Naughty Dog's leadership recognized the challenge of sustaining a live service game alongside their acclaimed single-player narrative titles. This realization led them to prioritize their established strengths, a move Fryer described as protecting what the studio does best.
Fryer indicated that the real mistake was greenlighting the project initially without thorough upfront analysis of its viability for a studio of Naughty Dog's size. While acknowledging the pain for the development team and disappointed players, she affirmed that cancelling the game was not the primary error.
