Last Updated on June 1, 2021 by Mark P.
Thanks to a new report from Bloomberg, a lot of the behind-the-scenes projects going down at PlayStation have been revealed, at least to an extent. That includes a whole lot of information, but for us, the most important of all that information is the fact that Naughty Dog is apparently working on a The Last of Us remake. That’s the most noteworthy to us, but we’d be remiss to not mention that Days Gone studio Sony Bend is apparently working on yet another Uncharted game. Unfortunately, Days Gone is not going to get a sequel, according to the report.
Located in San Diego, Sony’s Visual Arts Service Group has often been supported for a number of other Sony studios. But about three years ago, they started looking into remaking The Last of Us.
Founder of the Visual Arts Service Group, Michael Mumbauer, recruited roughly thirty people from both within Sony and many places outside of it, with the purpose of creating a new division with the objective of remaking The Last of Us for the PlayStation 5. But according to Bloomberg, this team didn’t get enough support or funding, so Sony shifted the task of creating this remake to developer Naughty Dog.
Since then, Mumbauer left the company, along with many of the people he recruited for the team. As far as this is concerned, Sony declined any sort of comment.
Related: The Uncharted Movie Has Been Delayed Once More, This Time Until 2021
In regards to why Days Gone isn’t getting a sequel, the report claims that studio Sony Bend tried to sell the idea of a sequel, but it didn’t get the green light even though the first game was such a remarkable commercial success. Apparently, instead of working on a sequel to Days Gone, the studio is helping Naughty Dog with an undisclosed multiplayer game.
While the report did not actually say what that multiplayer game was supposed to be, it has been announced before that Naughty Dog was working on a standalone Last of Us multiplayer game, so it seems likely that said game is the one Sony Bend is assisting with. Apparently, another team within Sony Bend was selected to work on the new Uncharted game as well.
Allegedly, some of the higher-ranking members of Sony Bend were dissatisfied with working on the new Uncharted game and requested to be removed from the project. Sony apparently agreed, and Sony Bend is now working on their own title.
Related: https://www.thedealexperts.com/news/gaming-news/the-uncharted-movie-has-been-delayed-once-more-this-time-until-2021/
Naughty Dog has said before that they have no intention of making another Uncharted game, but they did mention that another team could be the ones to make Uncharted 5, even if Sony Bend isn’t the studio to do it.
Of other interest in the report is the fact that Mumbauer’s team originally wanted to work on a remake of the original Uncharted game, but the project “quickly fizzled,” apparently due to costs and other undisclosed issues. With that plan out the window, the team decided to commit to a remake of The Last of Us, to be put in a package with The Last of Us 2 for PS5.
The new boss of PlayStation studios, Hermen Hulst, mentioned that the remake was too expensive, mostly due to the new engine for the PlayStation 5 and the redesigning of gameplay mechanics.
So instead, Sony directed Mumbauer’s team to work on The Last of Us II, not as the main team, but as a co-developer with Naughty Dog to speed up the process. After that game was finished, Sony reportedly requested that some developers from Naughty Dog aid Mumbauer’s team with the Last of Us remake, but later on, the game was moved to an internal Naughty Dog team.
The report has confirmed that, despite all of these complications, The Last of Us Remake is still in the works and very much on the way.
