Boston transit map appears in The Last of Us without permission, creator says

UPDATE: Naughty Dog and the designer have come to a mutual agreement, according to an update on his blog.

"I’ve just spoken with Naughty Dog over the phone in a very constructive conversation. Can’t say more at the moment, but it seems as if matters will be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction shortly. I can say that they do acknowledge their error in using my map and were very apologetic for it. I likewise apologized for my initial vitriolic post. A lot of mutual respect for each other’s creative work."

The original story follows below.

Naughty Dog is known for its attention to detail. So when one fan noticed an accurate map of the Massachusetts Bay public transit system in The Last of Us and tweeted a picture, it seemed innocuous. But according to the map's creator, Naughty Dog's attention to detail was lacking in one important area: his permission.

"For a software developer--especially a big developer working on a blockbuster title like this--to casually appropriate someone else’s work and incorporate it into their game without any discussion with the owner of that work is completely unacceptable," designer Cameron Booth wrote on his blog.

Note that Booth's map differs from the official Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority map--it's meant to present the same information in a streamlined, easier-to-read format. Booth actually refrained from submitting the map to an official MBTA contest because he would have lost all rights to it. Looks like he already lost those rights in The Last of Us' virtual world, unfortunately.

This isn't the first unlicensed likeness dispute to mar Naughty Dogs' latest title, though Ellen Page's resemblance to main character Ellie is much more open to interpretation.

Booth has since tweeted that he had a "very constructive phone conversation" with Naughty Dog and the issue will soon be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. We asked the Sony-owned developer about his concerns and will update this story with any response.

TOPICS
CATEGORIES
Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.

Latest in The Last of Us
The Last of Us 2
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann sounds like he's contemplating the end of his career: "When is it time to stop?"
The Last of Us 2
Naughty Dog has done it: it's remastered the PS5 controller with a Last of Us-themed DualSense announcement 24 hours after Neil Druckmann dashed our hopes for The Last of Us 3
best zombie games
"Don't bet on there being more of Last of Us": Asked about The Last of Us 3, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann says "this could be it"
Concept art for Naughty Dog's new standalone multiplayer title
Cancelled The Last of Us Online game was "great," but former PlayStation exec says Naughty Dog had to scrap it after Bungie told them how much work it would be
The Last of Us 2
The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann doesn't have the "confidence" to plan for sequels: "I'm not saving some idea for the future"
The Last of Us 2
Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann knows you're tired of remakes and remasters, but anyway, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is coming to PC next year
Latest in News
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing Astarion, a pale male elf with short curly white hair and red eyes, looking over his shoulder with a smirk on his face
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor comes face to face with what might just be the best merch to come of the RPG yet – a 5-foot Funko Pop figure of his character
Drop
New horror movie starring White Lotus and Yellowstone actors gets a great Rotten Tomatoes score as early reactions call it the "perfect date night movie"
Lois and Peter in Family Guy season 23
After 11 years, Family Guy suddenly brings back a deep-cut character for season 23
Key art for Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE showing the Prince rolling a Katamari as the King of All Cosmos sits at a livestreaming setup.
The first all-new Katamari Damacy game in almost 8 years is trapped in Apple Arcade jail, and I can only hope it follows in Hello Kitty Island Adventure's footsteps to eventually escape
No Rest for the Wicked
Ori and the Blind Forest developer is now "fully independent" after "months of negotiation" with what remained of its gutted publisher
The cast of Thunderbolts
Marvel fans are revealing who they'd like to see added to the Thunderbolts lineup, from Moon Knight to a major Hulk villain