A dataminer discovered what may be an unused battle royale map in The Last of Us Part II.
As noted by YouTuber Speclizer, a variety of multiplayer assets can still be found in The Last of Part II. The most significant discovery is that of a simple map that seemingly unites several in-game locations into one arena. Speclizer highlights many of these locales by pointing them out on the map and then showing the environment as it is rendered for the single-player campaign.
Beyond the map, Speclizer also found a variety of unfinished items which could feature in a battle royale mode. A "listen-mode-device," which resembles some form of futuristic helmet, could potentially allow players to use the game's "Listen Mode" in multiplayer. A spread of backpack and armor models were also unearthed but have yet to be restored.
"Didn't mention it in the video but in the development footage, there's a compass and a player count which is usually only used in battle royales," writes Speclizer in a pinned comment on the video. "Oh and there's also an emote wheel script. I'm really looking forward to factions 2, I don't think a battle royale mode would be a bad addition to the game!"
Launched in 2020, The Last of Us Part II shipped without any kind of multiplayer mode. Many fans of the franchise expressed disappointment at its absence; The first game in the franchise featured a competitive multiplayer mode named Factions which managed to find a dedicated audience.
While The Last of Us Part II was initially meant to release with some form of multiplayer, the mode was delayed by developer Naughty Dog as it was deemed to be too ambitious. Beyond the occasional job listing, word on the multiplayer mode, dubbed "Factions 2" by the community, is almost non-existent.
While the game was released over a year ago, The Last of Us Part II still has a passionate fanbase, with many fans dedicating themselves to unearthing as much as they can about the game. Recently, it was discovered that secondary protagonist Abby can kill Tommy, a character that is vital to the game's story. Elsewhere, cut dialogue reveals a potential in-universe explanation behind Ellie's moth tattoo design. Certain fans have gone so far as to reimagine the game as an anime.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can check out The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4. You can also play it at 60FPS on PlayStation 5 thanks to a recent update. Just be sure you're ready for a good cry...
Source: YouTube