The Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mod hits 4v4 matches ahead of September launch

Modder Speclizer has been building a full multiplayer mode for The Last of Us Part 2 on PC since early 2026, and the project just cleared a major hurdle — matches now support up to 4v4 players, up from a previous cap of 1v1. The mod is still targeting a September 2026 release.

Beyond the player count jump, the mod already has a functioning main menu with map selection and gear loadouts, a working matchmaking system, and a leaderboard. Two maps are in rotation: Houses and the newly added Seraphite Forest. The current development focus is animation sync — replicating the fluid, dynamic animations Naughty Dog built for the game. The catch is that in The Last of Us Part 2, only the player character has access to the full animation set, while NPCs use a stripped-down version, which Speclizer discovered when first wiring up multiplayer functionality. Progress updates and behind-the-scenes breakdowns are posted regularly on X and via a dedicated YouTube series.

The mod exists in the shadow of The Last of Us Factions — the standalone multiplayer game Naughty Dog had been developing as a follow-up to the original PS3 game's surprisingly well-received multiplayer component. Sony cancelled Factions as part of its broader pullback from live-service projects, leaving a gap that no official product has filled. The Last of Us Part 2 launched on PC in 2024, which is what makes a mod like this possible at all.

For a fan-made project, the polish is striking — this isn't a rough proof-of-concept but something that looks and plays like a real multiplayer mode built on the sequel's engine. With September approaching and 4v4 now functional, the timeline looks credible. It's not the Factions game Sony cancelled, but right now it's the closest thing anyone's going to get.