Naughty Dog has confirmed that the multiplayer component for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will include eight new maps to battle on.
Speaking at Paris Games Week following Sony’s press conference yesterday evening, Rob Cogburn, Uncharted 4’s Lead Multiplayer Designer, confirmed that none of the stages would be remakes of previous environments from past multiplayer efforts. While the team is "shooting" for eight maps, it wasn’t confirmed whether or not they’d be available from day-one, or would be added over time.
In addition, Cogburn also hinted that vehicles will be added to the game’s multiplayer later down the line. Don’t expect them at launch, however. “I can tell you for ship we will not have vehicles, but it is something we’re hoping to tackle in the future,” he said. Naughty Dog previously confirmed that the multiplayer would run at 900p/60fps. Naughty Dog is introducing a number of new features for Uncharted’s latest online effort, including the ability to wield supernatural items and call on AI-controlled companions to give you the edge in battle.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is scheduled to ship for PS4 on March 18, 2016. The game was originally due for release in late 2015, although was pushed back to afford additional development time, in part due to Naughty Dog wanting to get the ending just right. Gamers looking to splash out on Drake’s next adventure may want to invest in the Special Edition or Libertalia Collector’s Edition, both of which feature additional, physical content. Uncharted 4’s multiplayer beta is due to kick off in December, with access to the teaser given away with the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection on PS4.
Naughty Dog has made it clear that Uncharted 4 will be the final chapter in Drake’s story arc, and has admitted that continuing the series without him is difficult to imagine, though didn’t rule it out entirely. Set a few years after the events of Drake’s Deception, Uncharted 4 sees the lovable rogue and partner Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan on the hunt for a legendary pirate treasure in Madagascar, and will be joined by Drake’s long-lost sibling, Sam. The game will feature larger environments, though still adheres firmly to the series’ established paradigm, and as such won’t incorporate a character progression system similar to The Last of Us.