We already know that Naughty Dog originally wanted to develop a multiplayer part for The Last of Us 2, with plans to release it sometime after the game's release. However, the project will be canceled after getting Bungie's suggestion, which has left many speculating about the reason behind it.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier recently clarified the matter. He revealed on "X" that Bungie had provided feedback to Naughty Dog, which Naughty Dog found very useful, and that it was probably a very wise decision not to venture into online service games. And this feedback was crucial in getting Naughty Dog to stop multiplayer development.
While the cancellation of the multiplayer portion of The Last of Us 2 may disappoint some fans, it seems like a wise decision. Schreier points to the difficulties faced by single-player game studios in transitioning to online service-based games, citing Anthem, Suicide Squad, Marvel's Avengers, and Redfall as examples. While Naughty Dog has had previous success with multiplayer, Bungie's feedback suggests that it can be risky to put too many resources into an online service-based game.
As for Bungie, the studio recently saw a major layoff, but the studio's focus on Destiny and Marathon still has expectations for the studio.