The Last of Us Part 2 Multiplayer Mod (Sony, 2026)

What it was: a Factions-style 4v4 PC multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part 2, built by modder Speclizer. In development since January 2026, with a planned September 2026 release, partly funded through Patreon (intended to be free at release).

Outcome: on 2026-09-13/14 Speclizer announced that a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment had requested the mod not be released. The project was scrapped; work-in-progress footage remains on YouTube, and the modder pivoted to an original project.

Context: Naughty Dog cancelled its own standalone The Last of Us Online in December 2023 at roughly 80% complete (director Vinit Agarwal); former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida later said he wished it had shipped. A fan mod standing up the same feature is a direct overlap with something the publisher chose not to ship — and still controls.

Lesson: "the official version doesn't exist" is not a safe harbour. The rights holder can assert the concept, and a partially funded project has no leverage.

Sources: PC Gamer, Push Square, wccftech, Gaming.net, Shane the Gamer, Power Up Gaming, mangodeveloper, theclick.gg.