Last of Us PS3/PS4 Getting Free Maps, As Long Multiplayer Wait Issue Persists

The Last of Us fans got some good news and some not-so-good news today. Developer Naughty Dog has announced that it will release two multiplayer maps for free on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. That's the good part. The not-so-good news is that the matchmaking issues for the PS4 version of The Last of Us--the Remastered version--are still hanging around and a fix could still be weeks away.

"We are working on resolving this issue for those in our community who are still affected," Naughty Dog community strategist Arne Meyer writes on the developer's website. "We know this can be frustrating and the team here at Naughty Dog wants everyone in our community to know that working on this issue continues to be our number one priority."

"Believe me, the entire team at Naughty Dog completely understands how frustrating this has been for many of you in our community" -- Arne Meyer

Meyer said Naughty Dog has released patches for The Last of Us Remastered in the past two weeks and these have resulted in "significant improvements." However, he points out that, "There is still more to do be done to reduce matchmaking wait times."

Meyer also took time to explain what sounds like quite a complicated situation regarding the issue. "Over the last two weeks, we've discovered that the most significant improvements may come from working with other teams at PlayStation to make updates to some of the existing matchmaking libraries," he said. "Since we are working with multiple groups inside and outside of the studio, we don't yet have an exact date on when these updates will roll out. Our current estimate is on the short side of weeks, rather than months. We'll be sure to keep you updated the moment we can provide more specific timing, or an actual date."

"Believe me, the entire team at Naughty Dog completely understands how frustrating this has been for many of you in our community," he added.

Until Naughty Dog can address the Last of Us matchmaking issues in a permanent way, the studio reiterates that the best way to get around the problem is to exit matchmaking and select "Find Match" again. "Thank you to everyone in our community for your understanding and continued support," Meyer said.

Naughty Dog did not say when the new maps will be available for The Last of Us on PS3 and PS4, but presumably, it will be soon.