Someone is trying to recreate the project that grew too big and was ultimately scrapped, as long as they can do so without facing legal consequences.
Naughty Dog may have sealed the fate of The Last of Us Online after realizing that the game would need to operate as a live service with long-term support, but a modder named Speclizer is currently developing a multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II with the goal of recreating the Factions experience in the newer game. Speclizer previously attempted to recreate the Hold Up feature that was cut from the game. Since January, he has been working on this multiplayer project, which began as a modest proof of concept: two independent instances of Ellie appearing simultaneously and being controllable in the same game world, running exclusively locally. From the beginning, Speclizer has been cautious about expectations, noting that he has no idea whether anything will come of it. The modder has shared 25 minutes of new gameplay from the multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II, adding that the target is a September release. The mod even features equipment and map selection menus thanks to a custom user interface built into the engine and using Naughty Dog’s own Widget system.
The modder had previously released seven episodes of a publicly documented development log. By Episode 5, Speclizer had successfully synchronized character models, prone movement, weapon switching, inventory, and even implemented a custom weapon-dropping mechanic. In Episode 6, he further deepened the work on the systems supporting true multiplayer gameplay: synchronization of multiple player components and synchronization of interactive objects. By Episode 7, the project had already taken a form resembling a genuinely playable PvP proof of concept.
In the latest episode, he solved some of the most technically demanding problems so far. He introduced sprint synchronization, which works seamlessly, including proper interaction with doors while moving. Backpack synchronization was implemented by hooking into the game’s request-state function and controlling which states the remote client accepts or rejects. Door synchronization was functional, and synchronization for squeezing through narrow spaces, the tight corridor animations used throughout normal gameplay, also mostly worked, although there were still some issues with bidirectional squeezing.
The most significant breakthrough was solving the hit detection problem. The core of the problem was that the game’s original collision layer system, designed to avoid self-damage, naturally excludes the player’s layer from projectile raycasts, which means projectiles pass straight through the second player. Speclizer solved this by moving the remote player’s collision layer to the layer used by NPCs, causing the hit detection system to treat them as enemy characters rather than players. Full-body hit reactions were also disabled for the remote player, preventing the shooter from getting stuck in a hit animation and being unable to return fire. He also wrote a custom death handler so the game would not fail the level when a player dies. Once that worked, Speclizer assembled the building blocks of the actual game mode: a health point system, radar, spawn points, and a respawn handler, all directly inspired by Supply Raid, which was the central element of the original The Last of Us Factions competitive mode. The result was the mod’s first 1v1 match.
Of course, this The Last of Us Part II multiplayer mod will be available exclusively on PC. Copyright issues also arise: Sony and Naughty Dog could file a DMCA takedown request if the mod ever becomes available to the public…
Source: WCCFTech
