The Last of Us 2 has been out for long enough, and Naughty Dog’s focus has turned to the development of the game’s Factions mode. The studio has been hard at work on a standalone multiplayer offering for The Last of Us 2, and with over a year (at least) put into its development, it is odd that not much official info on the multiplayer project has released. However, there may be a good resign behind this.
With The Last of Us 2’s Factions being a full-fledged standalone release, it could safely be assumed that Factions will be far larger and have much more content this time around. That new content could contain a battle royale offering, if only due to the genre’s popularity, placing splintered groups of survivors in a massive battle for territory. A battle royale would be an interesting direction for The Last of Us 2 multiplayer to go in, and there are a fair number of reasons to believe it could, and could not, be releasing as part of the standalone Factions offering.
While the concept of a battle royale set in The Last of Us universe is a tantalizing idea, the reality is that there is nothing to suggest that such a mode is being developed. While more The Last of Us content is on the way, a battle royale mode is not necessarily something that is going to happen. No evidence regarding the development of such a mode has come about despite several leaks, and it would be quite a leap for Naughty Dog to make if such a mode were to be released. After all, the original Factions mode in the first The Last of Us game consisted of 4v4 gameplay, with fairly small maps centered on small, coordinate team fights. With even the smallest battle royale games having dozens of players on the map at a single time, the creation of such a mode would be a very different experience for Naughty Dog.
Further, footage for The Last of Us 2‘s Factions has already leaked online, with the mode’s gameplay looking very similar to that of its predecessor. Apart from players filling the roles of story mode characters as opposed to unnamed members of the Wolves and Seraphites, the mode looks exactly like one would expect from an updated version of the original factions. Most of all, the leaked footage shows the same player count of the first factions mode, as two teams of four do battle on an average-sized multiplayer map.
One other thing to consider is that a battle royale mode could become a negative as opposed to a positive. After all, many see The Last of Us 2 as a shoe-in winner at The Game Awards, with the game’s single player being strong enough to garner so much awards recognition. With The Last of Us 2‘s Factions being delayed and switched to a standalone release, the team at Naughty Dog was able to focus entirely on development of the story mode. Diverting resources and splitting the team into a 4v4 group and a battle royale group could lead to unpolished versions of both modes, with neither seeing a proper level of support due to the other’s existence. Even worse, the traditional version of Factions could be abandoned if a Last of Us battle royale became successful, mirroring what happened with Fortnite and its “Save The World” mode.
While there is no evidence behind a battle royale mode being made for The Last of Us 2, the concept should not be counted out entirely. Out of all the reasons to expect a battle royale when The Last of Us 2’s multiplayer arrives, the most obvious is one of the most logical. Battle royales are one of the most popular genres in gaming today, generating incredible amounts of revenue for the developers and publishers behind them. Capitalizing on that popularity while the genre is still hot makes perfect sense from a business standpoint, and beyond that, a battle royale mode is sure to please a large audience of gamers. With even a horror game like Resident Evil 8 supposedly getting a battle royale, it is hard to think of reasons for Naughty Dog to avoid the genre.
Beyond this, however, is the situation regarding Naughty Dog’s publisher. While Sony is known for having great PlayStation exclusive games, one area that has been left completely untouched by the company thus far is battle royales. Specializing in singleplayer titles, the only time Sony has done a multiplayer-focused exclusive game on a massive scale was 2010’s MAG, a game that existed a good bit before the battle royale genre began its rise to popularity. Beyond a PlayStation-exclusive battle royale being a wise business decision and a crowd-pleaser, it could make sense of the way Factions is releasing. While The Last of Us 2’s multiplayer has taken a long time to release, Neil Druckmann promised it is worth the wait, a statement that could prove true if the mode offers something truly special.
A potential battle royale mode is one of the reasons that Factions being separate from single player could be a good thing, as it allows for Naughty Dog to really sink its teeth into making the mode something special. One thing that works in favor of a The Last of Us battle royale is that the series has mechanics that are inherently good for a battle royale mode. From crafting and looting to melee combat options, surviving against other players in a massive Factions match seems like a logical leap for Naughty Dog to make. Incorporating features like Listen Mode would only add to the experience, and the post-apocalyptic version of Seattle explored by Ellie and Abby would be a perfect battle royale map full of variety.
There are plenty of things that would be nice to see in The Last Of Us 2’s Factions, many of which would translate nicely to a battle royale. One thing that should certainly return from the original Factions was the meta-game where players had to gather supplies for a settlement. Not only could the settlement system be expanded upon to include an actual area for players to talk with their NPCs and upgrade their living spaces, but searching for settlement supplies melds perfectly with the traditional battle royale experience.
Lastly, something both traditional Factions and this hypothetical battle royale mode needs to make use of is the infected of The Last of Us. Like the Zombies locations of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode, certain areas of Seattle could see hordes of clickers inside that need to be cleared out. Better loot could be available in these areas, but with a higher risk attached. Another use for the infected could see them work as a storm for the mode, constantly pushing players closer together. Lastly, Naughty Dog could take inspiration from Call of Duty: Warzone’s Zombie Royale, letting players earn a second chance at life by controlling one of the storm’s infected.
Clearly, Naughty Dog has a lot of options when it comes to including a battle royale mode in Factions. While some people may still be pondering the story of The Last of Us 2, plenty are eager to jump into the multiplayer offering that has been teased by Naughty Dog for so long. With the original Factions mode becoming a cult classic that grew in popularity over the years, this new offering has the potential to be a hit right from the start. With an untapped market for Sony, a battle royale set in the world of The Last of Us could be a success for Naughty Dog. Beyond that, however, a Last of Us battle royale could be a blast to play — especially if it makes smart use of the game’s infected and the Factions meta game.
The Factions mode for The Last of Us 2 is currently in development.
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