The company behind The Last of Us and Uncharted is experimenting with different ways to make money and has hired a veteran of the game Fortnite.

The compelling stories told in Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us and Uncharted game series are chiefly responsible for the studio’s rise to prominence as one of the most important in the video game industry today.

As shown by the recent hiring of a new employee, it is also now investigating new ways to monetize its content. This might not appear to go in with the qualities of its narrative, but with reference to one particular project, it really makes a lot of sense.

Anders Howard has been brought on board by Naughty Dog as the company’s primary monetization designer, as was brought to light by Inside Gaming. This role leaves no room for interpretation. Before this, Howard held the position of lead systems designer at Ubisoft Stockholm; nevertheless, it is his time spent working for Epic Games that is likely to cause some people to raise their eyebrows.

According to Howard’s LinkedIn profile, the work he did at Fortnite as a senior systems designer “helped build the basis of Battle Pass progression strategy, controlling the collectible gameplay, quest pipeline, and Battle Pass XP.”

It may appear at first glance that a Battle Pass concept is not applicable to games developed by Naughty Dog; yet, there is one specific project that fits like a glove, and that is Factions. The standalone multiplayer option for The Last of Us Part I has not yet been released, but it is simple to see how a Battle Pass could be integrated into the experience once it does.

Unlockable weapons and outfits that make a reference to previous Naughty Dog games such as Crash Bandicoot or Jack and Daxter would make a lot of sense, but we wouldn’t expect to see crossover characters as Fortnite does because that wouldn’t make any sense.

At the beginning of the year 2022, it was rumored that Factions may emerge within the year, but at this moment, it appears much less probable that this would occur. We did obtain The Last of Us Part 1, and the remake of the game felt like a genuine final draft of the one it was based on.

At this point, the next release pertaining to The Last of Us won’t be a video game but rather a prestige television series: HBO’s adaptation of the original game is scheduled to premiere in the following year. More specifically, The Last of Us is scheduled to be released on January 15, 2023.