No Dedicated Servers for Uncharted 4 Multiplayer

The multiplayer component for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will not use dedicated servers, developer Naughty Dog has confirmed. Instead, players can expect a peer-to-peer setup similar to past games.

Lead multiplayer designer Robert Cogburn told VG247: "We'll still have a host, it's still peer-to-peer."

Naughty Dog's latest Uncharted game, 2011's Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, also used peer-to-peer connections. Cogburn didn't provide any details about how host-switching will work for Uncharted 4.

Dedicated servers are considered by some to be preferable to peer-to-peer. Instances of lag and Host Advantage are often reduced with the use of dedicated servers instead of relying on another player hosting a match.

High-profile games that use dedicated servers include Halo 5: Guardians, Star Wars Battlefront, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5.

In Uncharted 4's multiplayer, matches are 5v5. The mode was officially revealed this week during Sony's Paris Games Week briefing, and it's adding some new features not seen in past games.

First, players can call in a "Sidekick" AI character to help you when you're in trouble. In addition, players can unlock "Mystical" abilities that give them special abilities, while the grappling hook movement tool is also featured. Watch the trailer above to see these in action.

Uncharted 4's multiplayer beta begins December 4 for people who bought Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, and will continue until December 13. The multiplayer mode will also be playable at Sony's PlayStation Experience community event in December.

In other recent Uncharted 4 news, Naughty Dog has confirmed that the multiplayer mode will feature microtransactions from the start. In addition, multiplayer will render at 900p/60fps, compared to 1080p/30fps for the campaign.

Originally pegged to launch in 2015, Uncharted 4 is now slated to arrive March 18, 2016. It is the final game in the series to star franchise hero Nathan Drake, but not necessarily the last game in the action-adventure series.