Naughty Dog has shared some good and bad news. The good: the developer is working on a new single-player game. The bad: The Last of Us multiplayer project won’t be released any time soon.

Revealing the joint news on Twitter, the games developer said: “We’re incredibly proud of the job our studio has done thus far, but as development has continued, we’ve realized what is best for the game is to give it more time. Our team will continue to work on the project, as well as our other games in development, including a brand new single-player experience; we look forward to sharing more soon.”

It's not clear whether the "brand new single-player experience" is part of The Last of Us series. Naughty Dog did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

Fans of Last of Us reacted to news of the delay with words of support. One fan tweeted, “I don’t mind the wait, really appreciate the transparency here”, while another said: “Naughty Dog, just pure love. I love you with everything I’ve got in my heart and I mean it. Your games, everything you bring US to the table is so unique and you create history in the making. I respect you guys so much and will never change as long as you keep your promises.”

The delay is likely linked to news, reported by Bloomberg, that the team working on the multiplayer Last of Us game was scaled back as the game’s creators “reassess its quality and long-term viability” and Naughty Dog “reevaluates the direction” of the multiplayer title.

Since the release of the first Last of Us video game in 2013, various releases have sold more than 37 million units, according to Sony.

The multiplayer title has been in the works by Naughty Dog for at least four years and began development as a complementary mode to the single-player Last of Us: Part II, released in 2020 before creators decided to make it into its own game.