A multiplayer mod for The Last of Us 2 was reportedly cancelled “at Sony’s request”

A highly anticipated multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part 2 on PC has been cancelled following a cease-and-desist letter from Sony Interactive Entertainment. The mod, developed by modder Speclizer, was in development for nine months starting in January 2026 and was scheduled for release in September 2026.

In a September 13 announcement, Speclizer stated they “recently received a letter on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting for the mod not to be released.” The developer expressed disappointment at the cancellation, noting it was “extremely sad that this never got to see the light of day.”

The cancellation reportedly came just after the project reached a “quite a big milestone” in its development phase. While Sony did not publicly disclose the reason for the cease-and-desist, community speculation suggests the shutdown may have been triggered by Speclizer’s decision to monetize the mod through a Patreon paywall that controlled access during development—a practice that often prompts legal action from publishers protecting their intellectual property.

The cancellation is particularly notable given that the original The Last of Us featured a multiplayer mode called Factions, and Naughty Dog had originally planned to include multiplayer in Part 2 before abandoning those plans before the game’s release. The fan-made mod represented an attempt to fulfill that unrealized vision.

A multiplayer mod for The Last of Us 2 was reportedly cancelled “at Sony’s request”

Sources