New The Last of Us Part II release date revealed following huge leaks

Following major portions of the game being leaked online, Sony announced on April 27 that The Last of Us Part II is getting a new release date for the PlayStation 4. And it’s coming sooner than expected.

On April 2, Sony and Naughty Dog made the painful decision to indefinitely delay The Last of Us Part 2 “until further notice.” The developer cited logistical issues as the reason behind the move.

Adding further salt to the wound, a leaker uploaded large portions of the game online on April 26, spoiling the majority of the story. Following this, Sony has announced a new release date for the game.

New The Last of Us 2 release date

The popular title was originally slated to come out in May on the PS4. However due to world events, it was pushed back without a time window for possible release. However Sony announced today on the official blog that it will be coming out on June 19.

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“As we begin to see an ease in the global distribution environment, I am pleased to confirm that The Last of Us Part II will arrive on June 19,” SIE’s Head of Worldwide Studios, Hermen Hulst, wrote.

Hulst also made a post on Twitter, applauding Naughty Dog for the final release window. “Huge thanks goes to everyone at Naughty Dog for their passion and hard work in delivering these incredible games to the fans during these times. I can’t wait for you all to experience them,” he tweeted.

The road to releasing the Last of Us II has been a bumpy one to say the least. Originally announced at Sony’s PlayStation experience in December 2016, the game has seen multiple setbacks.

At E3 2018, Naughty Dog was confident that the game would hit its May 2020 release date. However due to unexpected world events, they were forced to delay the AAA release for a second time.

And on April 26, leaked videos started to make the rounds online, spoiling major aspects of the game. The perpetrator even revealed all of the chapters in the game.

UPDATE April 27 11:40AM PST – The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann spoke out about the leaks on Twitter. “Heartbroken for the team. Heartbroken for our fans. We’re still incredibly excited to get the game into your hands.” he tweeted.

The official Naughty Dog social media account also released a statement, and addressed the videos being posted online. The developer asked players to try to avoid being spoiled.

“It’s disappointing to see the release and sharing of pre-release footage from development. Do your best to avoid spoilers, and we ask that you don’t spoil it for others,” the statement read.

It’s unknown as to whether the leaks had an impact on the AAA title getting a new release date. Although it’s more likely a  coincidence, as they were trying to hammer out logistics for a physical and digital release to happen at the same time.

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Sony also announced on their blog that Sucker Punch’s samurai action title Ghost of Tsushima will release a month later on July 17, meaning PS4 players have a lot to look forward to this summer.