The Last of Us Won’t Feature Campaign Co-Op

Considering that The Last of Us centers around two people trying their best to survive in a world in ruins, co-op sounds like it would be a natural fit for the game. Apparently, though, there won’t be any co-op–at least not campaign co-op.

In an interview with Gaming Examiner, Naughty Dog game director Bruce Straley flat-out confirmed that The Last of Us‘ story will only be told through singleplayer. That being said, that doesn’t mean that the game will be without any kind of multiplayer.

“We are supporting multiplayer with The Last of Us,” Straley confirmed in the interview. “We’re not ready to talk about the details of how multiplayer will be implemented, however we can say that it is not co-op within the main campaign.”

Earlier on in the interview, The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann explained how Ellie, your non-playable companion, will help you about the post-apocalyptic world, and it may provide some insight into why Naughty Dog chose to back away from co-op.

“Strong AI is an important focus for The Last of Us. Similar to how we’ve designed the enemy AI to feature dynamic, realistic opponents, we’ve also designed Ellie to be a very capable ally who provides vital mutual aid to Joel in overcoming obstacles,” Druckmann explained.

“In and out of combat situations, Ellie will be a valuable resource throughout the game. She’ll not only throw bricks at assailants but she’ll also be critical for scavenging, solving puzzles and tipping the balance of power in their favor as Joel and Ellie struggle to survive the harsh realities of the post pandemic world.”

Do you think The Last of Us would benefit from co-op?