Naughty Dog spent seven years building Factions before pulling the plug in 2023, and fans have been mourning it ever since. Now a lone modder has quietly done what the studio wouldn’t: strap competitive multiplayer onto The Last of Us Part II. We’ll break down exactly what’s working right now, what’s still missing, and why PlayStation owners are locked out entirely.
This is a fan-made mod, not a studio product. It’s PC-only, has no confirmed release date, and carries real legal risk since Naughty Dog and Sony haven’t authorized it. Treat “September 2026” as the modder’s target, not a promise.
Modder and dataminer Speclizer has been chipping away at an unofficial multiplayer mode for The Last of Us Part II since January, and the project just hit a milestone worth caring about: matches can now run in full 4v4, a jump up from the 1v1 duels the mod launched with and the 2v2 mode it briefly supported after that.
What Actually Changed This Week
Speclizer announced the update directly on X, sharing highlight clips from recent 2v2 matches alongside the news that 4v4 lobbies are now functional. It’s a meaningful jump in scale — 1v1 duels prove the core combat works, but 4v4 is where a mode starts to feel like the tactical, team-based Factions experience longtime fans actually want back.
The footage shows synced player movement, working hit detection, and full inventory and weapon systems running in PvP — a technically messy problem to solve, since The Last of Us Part II was never built with online multiplayer code in mind. To get accurate hit registration working, Speclizer reportedly had to reassign remote players’ collision layers so the game engine treats them like enemy NPCs. That’s the kind of workaround that explains why this project has taken seven months and counting.
What’s Already Built
Beyond the match size upgrade, Speclizer has confirmed the mod includes a working matchmaking system, leaderboards, and a menu interface that’s visibly inspired by the canceled Factions UI. Two maps are currently playable: a bare-bones Custom Map used for testing, and Houses, a competitive map built from the Hillcrest section of the campaign. It all runs as an add-on integrated straight into The Last of Us Part II Remastered’s existing main menu — no separate launcher required.
What’s not confirmed yet: final installation steps, system requirements, or whether the finished mod will be free. Speclizer’s other projects have historically sat behind a Patreon paywall, so it’s worth keeping expectations in check on that front until there’s an official word.
It’s Not the Only Factions Successor in the Works
Speclizer’s mod isn’t fans’ only shot at recapturing that Factions feeling. Back in March, developer Alec Favale announced Terminal War, a separate project the studio has directly pitched as a spiritual replacement for the canceled mode. It’s still early — recent updates have focused mostly on visual development — but the resemblance to The Last of Us’s tactical PvP loop is hard to miss.
Speclizer’s TLOU2 Mod
Unofficial PC-only mod built directly on top of The Last of Us Part II Remastered. Free access to the base game required. Targeting September 2026.
Terminal War
Standalone game inspired by Factions, built independently by Alec Favale’s team. Still in early visual development, no release window yet.
Why Fans Are This Hungry for a Replacement
The Last of Us Factions was reportedly around 80% complete when Naughty Dog canceled it in December 2023 after roughly seven years of development — a gut-punch timeline that still stings for the team that built it. Game director Vinit Agarwal has since said in an interview that it was the best multiplayer game he and his colleagues had ever worked on, which only makes the cancellation sting more for the community that never got to play it.
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2013
The original The Last of Us ships with Factions, a 4v4 PvP mode that becomes a cult favorite.
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December 2023
Naughty Dog cancels The Last of Us Online at roughly 80% completion after about seven years in development.
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January 2026
Speclizer begins building an unofficial multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II on PC.
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June 2026
Speclizer shares a 25-minute gameplay video showing working 1v1 matches, matchmaking, and Factions-inspired menus.
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July 2026
The mod reaches full 4v4 matches after briefly supporting 2v2 lobbies.
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September 2026 (targeted)
Speclizer’s planned release window for the finished mod — not a guaranteed date.
What Naughty Dog Is Actually Working On Instead
While fans build their own fix for the Factions-shaped hole in their hearts, Naughty Dog itself has moved on to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a new sci-fi IP revealed at The Game Awards in 2024. The studio hasn’t confirmed a release date, but a well-sourced insider has pointed to a 2027 launch window, exclusive to PlayStation 5 for now. Don’t expect a PC version — or a return to Factions — anytime soon.
Confirmed: Speclizer’s mod exists, is PC-only, now supports 4v4 matches, and includes matchmaking, leaderboards, and two maps. Factions was canceled in December 2023 at roughly 80% completion.
Unconfirmed: The September 2026 release window, whether the mod will be free or Patreon-gated, and Intergalactic’s 2027 launch are all targets or insider claims — not official confirmations from Naughty Dog, Sony, or Speclizer.
Keep Exploring on LemonLama
- Craving more competitive PvP options? our guide to the best multiplayer games right now has you covered.
- Prefer teaming up instead of squaring off? Check out our roundup of the best 2-player co-op games.
- Installing unofficial mods can get messy — if your setup starts acting up, our guide to why PC games keep crashing can help troubleshoot.
- Want more on Naughty Dog’s single-player side? our Resident Evil Requiem coverage is a good next read for narrative-driven fans.
Should You Install It When It Drops?
If you already own The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PC, there’s genuinely no downside to keeping an eye on this one — it’s free-to-attempt content built on a game you already paid for, and Speclizer has been transparent about progress the whole way through. Just go in with clear eyes: this is unofficial, it could face a takedown request at any point, and “September” is a target, not a receipt. We’ll update this piece the moment a real release date — or a DMCA notice — lands.