Soon, Naughty Dog will be turning off multiplayer support for some of their most popular PS3 games.
Servers are being taken offline tomorrow, September 3 and will not be turned back on in the future.
Naughty Dog has confirmed that official server support will end at 5PM PST in the United States.
For UK gamers, it means PS3 servers will be going offline at 1am on Wednesday, September 4.
The conciliation given to PlayStation gamers is that they had free access to all multiplayer DLC for Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3, and The Last of Us over the past few months.
No mention has been made on how this will affect games that are streamed through the PlayStation Now service.
But it seems likely that PS Now will be affected in the same way, as Naughty Dog is turning off their PS3 servers.
For example, PS Now lists The Last of US available to play via the PS3 version, not the Remastered bundle on PS4.
Meanwhile, The Nathan Drake Collection on PS4 currently doesn’t include multiplayer support.
Here’s the original statement shared by Naughty Dog covering the end of PS3 server support:
“After nearly 10 years of operation, on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 [5:00 PM PT] we will be bidding farewell to the multiplayer servers for Naughty Dog games on the PlayStation 3, including Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, The Last of Us, and The Last of Us Left Behind.
“It’s bittersweet to say the least. Uncharted and The Last of Us multiplayer on the PS3 are defining entries in Naughty Dog’s history and we’ve been honoured to support the passionate communities that have grown around them for almost a decade.
“We have so many fond memories from playing alongside you throughout the years.
“However, we wanted to make sure we gave multiplayer on PS3 a proper send-off.
“From now until September 3, 2019 [5:00 PM PT] all multiplayer services will remain intact, and we’re making all multiplayer DLC for Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3, and The Last of Us on PS3 totally free.
“Just fire up PlayStation Store and look for our new free Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3, and The Last of Us multiplayer DLC bundles, which include all gameplay and vanity items.
“Whether you’re an active player or want to play a few rounds for old time’s sake, there’s never been a better time to experience the full breadth of Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3, The Last of Us, and The Last of Us Left Behind multiplayer on PS3.
“Thank you to everyone who has played Uncharted and The Last of Us multiplayer on PS3 and for all of your incredible enthusiasm, feedback, and support.”
While PS3 server support is ending, the same changes are not being made on PS4 or PS4 Pro.
So that means The Last of Us Remastered will be the best place to access multiplayer action.
According to the latest reports, population numbers among players is still high on Remastered servers.
And these numbers are expected to go up when the Last of Us 2 release date is confirmed.
