Neil Druckmann has said not to expect news on the successor to The Last of Us' Factions successor until 2023.
A successor to The Last of Us' Factions mode has been something that PlayStation fans have been asking about for some time, with it originally being planned as part of the second game before being delayed due to its ambition. Although we've known about it for some time, Naughty Dog has kept quiet about it for some time and never shown it off or given any details on the mode until now.
Neil Druckmann took the stage at Summer Game Fest to talk about the new Factions mode, showing off the first look at it through a piece of concept art and giving some new details. On the game, which is confirmed to be standalone from The Last of Us Part 2, Druckmann revealed that the game will have its own story and characters. It's not confirmed where the game is set, but it's speculated that it might be San Francisco.
The concept art gives a few more details and shows two characters looking out over a city. One is carrying a sniper rifle and looking fearfully to her left, while the other is in the middle of crafting a Molotov cocktail. The concept art also shows what looks to be infected running around in the streets below, which would be a new addition to Factions as they weren't a part of the original mode.
Although finally hearing Naughty Dog refer to the new Factions mode after years of silence is a relief for fans of The Last of Us, it's unfortunately looking like we're still going to be waiting a while, as Druckmann announced that more news shouldn't be expected until sometime next year. Whether Factions 2 will also launch next year isn't clear currently, but we know not to expect anything on it for the rest of the year.
Naughty Dog Tweeted the concept art alongside this caption, "keep a 'lookout'. Our biggest online experience is coming. More news next year...". The lookout part of the caption seems to be referring to the two characters looking out other the battlefield, and not some kind of hint towards the name of the mode.