WhileThe Last of Us 2doesn’t have a dedicated multiplayer mode, as its predecessor did, some elements of it were in active development at some point in time. The game’s multiplayer mode, where these work-in-progress armor suits likely came from, was subsequently separated into the purportedThe Last of Us: Factionsstandalone title.
In an unexpected turn of events, aThe Last of Us 2data miner has discovered hidden asset files for Ellie’s multiplayer armor sets, as well as a variety of other interesting assets. Though the assets in question are fairly rough around the edges, they may offer a look at what was supposed to be coming at one point during the game’s development.
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The data miner in question, ANGEL_GBC, discovered three armor sets for Ellie in the game files. This discovery was covered in a video from Speclizer, who noted that the armors very well could’ve been place-holders for future armor models that never ended up being made, as the assets are obviously unfinished. Odds are, then, that Ellie was going to be a playable character inThe Last of Us 2’s multiplayer, with the option to equip any of the three featured armor sets. When Naughty Dog moved to develop astandaloneThe Last of Usmultiplayer game, however, things needed to be shifted around.
ANGEL_GBC also discovered six multiplayer-exclusive backpacks, though they weren’t able to load them into the game at all. The backpacks in question indicate somepotential character roles that may or may not carry over toThe Last of Us: Factions, depending on how similar it ends up being toThe Last of Us 2. Backpacks are Assault, Melee, Sniper, Support, Stealth, and Tactical, offering a wide variety of gameplay options to players looking to niche out.
While these data mines may have come out of the left-field, the franchise itself is far from done. On top of the aforementionedFactionsmultiplayer title, there arerumors ofThe Last of Us 2Director’s Cutas well. Once all the pieces are set up and good to go, Sony and Naughty Dog are likely going to make a significant push to revitalize the franchise in the given news cycle, bringing it back to people’s attention in relatively short order.
Believe it or not, players are still discoveringnew things inThe Last of Us 2, even today. While these data mines are unlikely to indicate anything specific about Naughty Dog’sThe Last of Usmultiplayer project(s), they’re an interesting look at how this particular game’s development may have gone at the time.
