Although The Last of Us Online didn’t proceed as planned, some developers from Naughty Dog who were part of that project have now founded a new studio to create a similar game in Japan. Among those involved with this fresh endeavor are Vinit Agarwal, the original game director for The Last of Us, and Joe Pettinati, the creative director. In an interview with Game*Spark, Agarwal discussed their new project and his past experiences at Naughty Dog.
Agarwal shared that he’s been part of the video game industry for approximately 15 years, spending the last decade at Naughty Dog. Prior to joining them, he had experience working on free-to-play games. However, his ambition was to create a more challenging game. That’s when he discovered the multiplayer mode [Factions] within the first version of The Last of Us, and it quickly became an obsession for him.
As an enthusiastic admirer, I share my journey of being privileged enough to secure a position at the esteemed Naughty Dog studio. Initially, I harbored concerns about my longevity there, given the caliber of talent within their ranks. However, to my delight, I climbed the ranks from a junior game designer to ultimately holding the prestigious title of game director. Fast forwarding to early 2025, I embarked on an exciting new chapter as an independent professional.
Regarding his latest venture, Agarwal has verified that he’s been diligently working on it for approximately half a year now, and at present, it is playable. Even though he isn’t prepared to unveil the game just yet, he does elaborate that it falls under the category of multiplayer games with thrilling cinematic gameplay. He further mentioned that this project doesn’t conform to the traditional triple-A game mold; instead, he refers to it as a “triple-indie” production. This means it shares the agility and creativity typical of indie games, but without the substantial financial backing often associated with AAA titles.
Although we can’t reveal too many details just yet, the upcoming game is designed for multiple players. Our goal is to translate the dramatic, high-quality action you’ve come to know from our past games into a multiplayer setting. We’re currently networking with collaborators, and as more information becomes available, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
The team currently developing this game resides in a compact studio, comprising ten members at present. As envisioned by Agarwal, the staff count could expand to accommodate as many as 30 employees in due time, with an emphasis on maintaining a lean structure to preserve “agility and quickness”. The studio operates from two distinct locations – one office is located in Japan where Agarwal operates, while another serves as the base of operations for Pettinati in the USA.
For the advancement of the latest project, Agarwal drew upon his past experiences at Naughty Dog, revealing that he contributed to projects such as “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End”, “Uncharted: Lost Legacy”, and “The Last of Us Part 2”. In these games, Agarwal was instrumental in creating the final bosses for both “Uncharted” series titles, as well as the confrontation between Ellie and Abby in “The Last of Us Part 2”.
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2025-08-15 18:55