If The Last of Us Franchise Ever Attempts Multiplayer Again, It Should Deliver on an Overdue Feature

Factions, the original multiplayer mode in The Last of Us, was well-received in its time. It divided players into two groups — Hunters and Fireflies — and was a tactical, team-based multiplayer that mixed stealth, resource gathering, and survival elements to mirror the feel of the single-player campaign. The multiplayer mode allowed players to craft, scavenge, and fight for survival while choosing their allegiance to one of the two groups. However, when the Last of Us Part 2 was released in 2020, it did not feature multiplayer, despite the popularity of Factions in the first game.

Naughty Dog originally intended to release a multiplayer component for the Last of Us Part 2, but it got delayed, and the studio ultimately decided to turn it into a separate, standalone project. Sadly, that multiplayer project was scrapped last year, but hopefully, it doesn’t mean The Last of Us will never feature multiplayer again. A future version could finally tap into one long-needed feature.

Playing As Infected After Death Could Make TLoU Multiplayer Much More Interesting

If the Last of Us franchise revisits multiplayer again, incorporating the option to play as infected (possibly after player death) would be an interesting step. Naughty Dog explored plenty of multiplayer ideas in the past with Factions, but it has yet to tap into playable infected.

The idea of allowing players to control infected characters in the Last of Us could revitalize multiplayer by adding unpredictability. It would create higher stakes and provide an immersive way to spectate. After death, instead of traditional spectating, players could respawn as infected, and continue contributing to the ongoing match. This would heighten tension and improve immersion — much like how Counter-Strike 1.6 and Counter-Strike Source handled their zombie modes back in the day. Players might evolve from a Runner to a Clicker or even a Bloater while hunting remaining survivors.

Infected Players After Death in Multiplayer Would Also Enhance Horror Elements

This feature is not only bound to make the experience more engaging for defeated players but also enhance the horror elements. One way to ensure this is by making map boundaries and objectives feel significantly more dangerous, which is perfectly in line with the Last of Us game’s story and how the TV show of the same adds novelty to the storyline. One way to create scarier environments and map boundaries is to have them shift or deteriorate instead of keeping them static.

How Adding Infected Could Aid The Last of Us Multiplayer’s Tactical Gameplay

Additionally, this kind of system would encourage more tactical gameplay. Survivors would have to contend with the constant looming threat that fallen teammates might return as their worst nightmare, leading to less predictable encounters. Plus, these features don’t have to conform perfectly to canon, and can be done as a standalone mode that takes creative liberties where necessary to create a fun multiplayer experience.

Doing this all thoughtfully could add to the dread as the infected will keep coming in and become more aggressive near the edges of the map. While no such multiplayer game seems to be on the horizon, this is the kind of innovation that could help set any future version of Last of Us multiplayer apart from other survival games and make it a must-play experience.