Last Of Us 2 Multiplayer Datamining Could Hint At A Battle Royale Mode

A dataminer has uncovered leftover multiplayer assets within The Last of Us Part II's files that potentially point to a battle royale mode comprised of locations from the action-adventure game's single-player campaign.

In a nearly five-minute-long video, "modding and exploring games" YouTuber Speclizer shared what are allegedly The Last Of Us Part II multiplayer assets. According to Speclizer, these contain a map prop to be used in multiplayer, as well as objects like a collar and "listen-mode-device" (likely a piece of equipment in multiplayer to use the listen mode feature).

What's particularly striking about this leak, though, is that multiplayer map. It looks like it combines several locations from The Last of Us Part II's single-player campaign, like Adler Plaza and Camallito, to make "one big map." As Speclizer zooms into one referenced area after another, the battle royale map starts to make sense. Adler Plaza, with its four-story motel and spacious music center, looks like a great drop zone for loot and skirmishes. While Port 66, the spot near where Ellie tracked down Abby in the game, could be a solid hiding place to wait it out until you're the last one standing.

Near the end of the video, Speclizer mentioned that buried within the files were models for armors and backpacks they weren't able to fully restore yet. You can check out their video below.

Speclizer also wrote in a YouTube comment that development footage had "a compass and a player count," seemingly solidifying the idea that the multiplayer may include a battle royale experience.

It's worth noting, though, that none of this is confirmed. And even if this work was done, there's no guarantee that any of it will make it to developer Naughty Dog's standalone multiplayer title. Furthermore, neither the studio nor publisher Sony have commented on what Speclizer has found.

While Naughty Dog has been pretty quiet about its confirmed standalone The Last of Us multiplayer experience, more details have slowly emerged, like job postings from June pointing to the studio's ambitions with the title.