Speclizer Hits 4v4 Milestone on Unofficial The Last of Us Factions Revival
Even after Naughty Dog officially canceled Factions—the multiplayer mode for the original The Last of Us—a community-made revival project is still moving fast. Mod developer Speclizer has now reached a major milestone, enabling 4v4 matches, bringing the unofficial experience closer to the scale players remember from the original mode.
From 1v1 to 4v4, with more capacity on the way
Speclizer’s mod has been in development since the cancellation announcement in December 2023. For a long stretch, it only supported 1v1 fights, later expanding to 2v2. In recent weeks, the developer confirmed the next step: the mod can now handle up to 8 players and is actively progressing toward broader match sizes.
The latest update is the ability to run 4v4 games, which the developer has positioned as a key milestone toward recreating the kind of multiplayer sessions offered by Factions.
Matchmaking, leaderboards, loadouts, and a familiar-style UI
In gameplay clips shared by the mod creator, the project shows a small but surprisingly robust feature set for a fan-built effort. Alongside multiplayer support, the mod includes:
- Matchmaking functionality
- Leaderboards
- Map selection
- Equipment/loadout selection
- An interface inspired by the original Factions mode
Maps with inspiration from The Last of Us Part II—and ongoing animation sync work
Players may also find that the available map lineup isn’t strictly limited to the first game’s world. Footage suggests locations inspired by The Last of Us Part II, including a setting based on the Seraphites’ forest.
However, the developer also acknowledged that the mod still needs refinement to become consistently playable. In particular, the creator indicated that animation synchronization between players requires additional work, and that a significant portion of current effort is focused on fixing that problem.
Not replacing the official project—just keeping multiplayer hopes alive
Speclizer’s mod is not intended to replace any official work. Instead, it aims to offer an alternative for players who kept waiting for a multiplayer mode in The Last of Us. Sony ultimately canceled Factions after years of development, a move that came during a period when the company was shifting strategy toward games as a service, which left many players confused.
Since then, multiple attempts have tried to revive the multiplayer idea, but Speclizer’s project is currently viewed as one of the most promising.
Target window: September launch hopes, with more work still required
Looking ahead, the mod creator says they hope to publish the project in September of this year. Still, they emphasized that the release is not imminent and that substantial work remains before a final version is ready.
For now, the jump to 4v4 matches is the clearest sign that the community effort continues to advance quickly—bringing the dream of an unofficial Factions-style multiplayer experience closer than it was only a few months ago.
