Former The Last of Us Online Director Launches New Studio in Japan for “Triple-indie” Multiplayer Project

Vinit Argawal and The Last of Us 2

The director of the canceled The Last of Us Online project has started a new studio in Japan, aiming to create a multiplayer experience with cinematic action at its core.

Vinit Argawal, who worked at Naughty Dog for nearly a decade, served as the game director on the ambitious multiplayer spin-off of The Last of Us. However, in December 2023, the studio officially announced that the project had been scrapped after years of uncertainty. According to Naughty Dog, the game’s scale had grown so large that it would have required the studio to shift its entire focus away from single-player titles.

Now, in a recent interview with GameSpark (via VGC), Argawal revealed that he has teamed up with former Naughty Dog creative director Joe Pettinati to form a new studio. The goal is clear — build a multiplayer title that delivers the same level of intensity and cinematic feel as Naughty Dog’s single-player blockbusters.

Argawal explained that much of his design philosophy comes from his past work on Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and The Last of Us Part II. He highlighted his experience crafting boss battles, such as the duel between Nathan Drake and Rafe Adler in Uncharted 4 and the tense fight between Ellie and Abby in The Last of Us Part II. His focus was always on making encounters feel like a battle against a real human opponent rather than a predictable AI.

The new studio, split between Japan and the US, currently consists of around 10 developers, with plans to expand to roughly 30 as development continues. Argawal described the upcoming title as a “triple-indie” project — smaller in budget than a blockbuster AAA game but more ambitious than a traditional indie game in story and gameplay. He also noted that while the game isn’t ready for public reveal, the team has already been playtesting it regularly.

“We want to bring the cinematic action we know so well into multiplayer,” Argawal said, adding that discussions with potential partners are already underway.

As per Naughty Dog’s earlier statement, the cancellation of The Last of Us Online was a difficult choice, but the studio ultimately chose to preserve its legacy of single-player storytelling. For Argawal and Pettinati, however, that ambition for a cinematic multiplayer experience is alive and moving forward under a new banner.