Naughty Dog is hiring for an Associate Multiplayer Quality Assurance Tester/Development Support, according to a recent job listing, but what’s interesting is this position would be working on “multiplayer titles,” suggesting more than The Last of Us multiplayer game is in the works. Naughty Dog recently teased more information on a new multiplayer Last of Us game, perhaps similar to the first game’s Factions game mode, to come sometime this year. It has not been “officially” announced and has no proper title as of this writing.
Prior to the release of The Last of Us 2, it was slated to come with a multiplayer mode that was ultimately cut. Naughty Dog explained, at the time, that both sides of the project were so ambitious that this multiplayer component couldn’t be a simple online mode. Fans have been waiting on an update ever since, but as it stands, it seems they may want to be ready for at least two updates, eventually.
The Naughty Dog listing for a QA Tester isn’t out of the ordinary in terms of responsibilities or goals. Those who apply and are hired will need to be able to identify, log, and maintain gameplay issues; do bug regression testing when applicable; have a working knowledge of the PS4 and PS5 ecosystems; have the ability to accept additional responsibilities, as needed; and more. The listing also states that the QA tester will be bringing a high level of sensibility and attention to detail to the company’s “first standalone multiplayer project” but also follows that up by defining the role as “quality assurance/development support with a focus on our multiplayer titles [emphasis added].”
Now, it’s entirely possible that this ambiguity is intentional or that this is something as simple as a typo, but if it’s not a typo, then it could very well be a slight reference to at least two multiplayer games in development at Naughty Dog. It’s hard to say for sure, and given how little is known about the multiplayer Last of Us-related game, it’s possible the second is very early in development and unconnected to prior ND work. Either way, the company is likely to focus on this first multiplayer game this year and not reference the second publicly, for some time to come.
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2023-02-14 21:00:03
Source from gamerant.com
In recent news, there have been rumors that Naughty Dog – the acclaimed game development studio behind Uncharted, The Last of Us, and other beloved titles – may be hard at work developing a pair of titles that feature online multiplayer.
For years, the developers have carved out a niche within the gaming community by focusing on story-driven, single-player experiences. If these rumors are true, it would mean that the game studio is changing up its approach. But what kind of games could Naughty Dog be developing now?
Admittedly, details are sparse at this point. Recent job postings have suggested that one of the games could be a “multiplayer action-adventure” title, though beyond that, there is not much concrete information. Nevertheless, some speculate that the studio could be making a spiritual successor to Jak and Daxter or Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy, two of Naughty Dog’s classic adventure franchises from the early days of PlayStation.
Whatever the studio might be planning next, it’s obvious that the two games are still in the early stages of development. Not only that, but fans probably won’t get their hands on the games for a while; the studio’s most recent titles, The Last of Us Part 2 and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, spent nearly four and three years in development, respectively.
Even so, the prospect of a multiplayer game from the esteemed game development studio is exciting. The fusion of Naughty Dog’s signature style and a unique gameplay experience could be a boon, not only for fans of the studio’s work, but for the world of gaming in general. Only time will tell.