There has never been a more divisive pair of video games than The Last of Us and its sequel. Many people think these games are among the best ever made because they feature some of the most memorable characters and stories ever told, while others loathe them because of the contentious story choices they were forced to make. However, fans were disappointed that the first game’s Factions multiplayer mode was not carried over to the sequel.
However, Naughty Dog showed off some fresh concept art for The Last of Us standalone multiplayer game at the 2022 Summer Games Fest. Although details were scarce, it was speculated to be a free-to-play, live-service, combat royale. Certainty rests in the game’s original narrative, which will center on a cast of fresh faces and a setting that appears to be San Francisco based on the concept art. Given these specifics, Naughty Dog may choose to deepen their exploration of the Rattlers and the reformed Fireflies on Catalina Island, two of the game’s most intriguing groups from Part II.
A story from earlier this year claimed that the script for The Last of Us 3 had already been drafted. We still don’t know much about the plot, but it makes sense for this franchise to wrap up any loose ends from Part II’s characters. Part III might see Abby and Lev reuniting with the Fireflies and a redemption path for Ellie, whose storyline in the second game was extremely grim. Nonetheless, these developments would leave unexplored the histories of both The Rattlers and the reformed Fireflies. These voids could be perfectly filled by the next multi-player game.
Ellie and Abby run into the Santa Barbara-based slaver gang known as the Rattlers at the close of Part II. The Rattlers are portrayed in a far more unfavorable light than the rest of the people and groups in The Last of Us, yet they are still depicted as having a morally gray status. Slavery and torture are staples in their culture, and they are particularly heinous forms of violence. The story gives little indication of compassion on their part, despite hints dropped around Santa Barbara suggesting that people are driven to join the gang for the sake of safety and security.
