Naughty Dog delay The Last of Us 2 indefinitely
Naughty Dog / SonySony and Naughty Dog have announced that The Last Of Us 2 has been delayed “until further notice” due to current world events. The hotly anticipated PlayStation 4 title no longer has a release date.
Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us took the industry by storm in 2013 with it’s brutally unflinching themes and groundbreaking narrative.
However after its sequel was set to be released on May 29, Sony has announced that it’s been delayed yet again – this time, indefinitely.
Update: SIE has made the difficult decision to delay the launch of The Last of Us Part II and Marvel's Iron Man VR until further notice. Logistically, the global crisis is preventing us from providing the launch experience our players deserve.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 2, 2020
Developer Naughty Dog opened up about the delay on social media, penning a letter to fans to explain the situation. The studio stated they were “disappointed” and that “logistics beyond our control” led to the decision.
While the announcement comes as a shock, the developer assured fans that they are “nearly done” with work on the title, and explained that they are currently in the final stages of fixing bugs.
They clarified the logistics had to do with ensuring that players from all regions could experience the survival title around the same release date. “We want to make sure everyone gets to play The Last of Us Part II around the same time. It’s what is best and fair to all of our players.”
A message from us about the delay of The Last of Us Part II: pic.twitter.com/aGsSRfmJ8a
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 2, 2020
This isn’t the first time the anticipated title has had its launch date shifted. The game was originally projected for a 2019 release, only to be delayed to 2020. The title was first announced in December 2019 at the PlayStation Experience event.
Series creator and Part II director Neil Druckmann also spoke out about the announcement on Twitter. “Extremely sad to deliver this news to y’all. Ultimately, the situation is out of our control. We hope you understand,” he said.
Twitter: @Neil_DruckmannThe sequel takes place after the events of the first game, and follows Ellie as a 19-year old – this time front and center as the protagonist.
While the news is shocking to say the least, both Sony and Naughty Dog seem to be prioritizing the health and safety of their workers given current events around the world.
There is currently no indication of when the title will get a new release date. At the time of writing, the studio has simply said “until further notice” which could even mean 2021.