Skip to main content

The Last of Us: Part 2 reportedly delayed weeks after release date announcement

The Last of Us: Part 2 received a new trailer in late September that revealed a February 21, 2020, release date for the PlayStation 4 exclusive. However, it appears Sony may have jumped the gun on this news, as the game has reportedly already been delayed.

According to a new report from Kotaku, The Last of Us: Part 2 has been bumped to an undetermined final date next spring. The reason for the release date change was not revealed, but Naughty Dog has always valued perfection over getting a game out at its originally scheduled time. This was certainly the case with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which effectively had its own development rebooted after a change in leadership at the studio.

If the game does release in spring, it will be nearly seven years since the launch of the original The Last of Us on PlayStation 3. That game then came to PlayStation 4 the following year, and we fully expect The Last of Us: Part 2 to also include an upgraded version for PlayStation 5. Given the power of Naughty Dog’s engine and the amount of detail on characters’ faces in the game, we can’t wait to see how the next-generation hardware can make it look even better.

The Last of Us Part II – Release Date Reveal Trailer | PS4

Naughty Dog has been relatively secretive regarding The Last of Us: Part 2 thus far, only releasing a handful of trailers and a small amount of gameplay footage. Rather than play as Joel from the original game, you will play as Ellie, who has grown older and more hardened in the continued apocalypse. Joel will make an appearance, however, with much more gray hair, and will aid Ellie in a mission that is still fairly unclear.

The Last of Us: Part 2 will be, funnily enough, one of the last of the PS4’s exclusive games before Sony goes head-first into releasing games on PS5. The other major games still due to release for PS4 include Death Stranding, which will launch on November 8, as well as Ghost of Tsushima. The latter game doesn’t have a release date or even window yet, so it’s entirely possible that it could still come to PS5 instead of PS4.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
We tasted The Last of Us Part II’s apocalyptic new whisky
A bottle of whiskey inspired by The Last of Us sits on a table.

Just before this year's Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, The Last of Us Part II developer Naughty Dog brought a group of fans, press, and staff to a small bar for a special event to celebrate the franchise's latest release. This wasn't The Last of Us Part I, which came out the next day; instead, they were there to debut a new whisky inspired by Part II called Moth & Wolf.

The event was held at Quinn's Pub in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Its schedule featured a guided tasting of the new whisky, an appearance by Naughty Dog co-president and TLOU co-writer Neil Druckmann, and an acoustic set of six original songs by Troy Baker, the actor who voices Joel. While the whisky was the star of the show, the event itself also served as a somber goodbye for Baker, who officially closed out his time with TLOU.
Taste the apocalypse
Moth & Wolf is the latest product from the Digital Spirits project by Chivas Brothers, which is arguably best-known for its eponymous blended whisky Chivas Regal. Digital Spirits' aim, according to Chivas' Kevin Balmforth, is to "get closer to what fans are passionate about," by making spirits that are influenced by modern forms of entertainment like video games. Balmforth is the master brewer at the distillery that created Moth & Wolf, and describes himself as having been a "big gamer" even before coming aboard the collaboration, which has been nearly two years in the making.

Read more
The Last of Us Part I makes Part II’s flaws much more apparent
Ellie aiming a rifle.

The Last of Us Part I may not be meaningfully different from the original game or its 2014 remaster, but the context around the franchise has notably changed. That’s because of The Last of Us Part II, a sequel that’s spurred as much critical praise as it has heated debate. The 2020 release built on the first game’s strong foundation by delivering a more complex story that further muddied the “good guys vs. bad guys” trope we see in so much media. It's a story about cyclical violence where Joel’s actions at the end of the first game directly impact Ellie on her own misguided thirst for blood.

It's a bold game, one that’s significantly longer and larger to fit in all of its ideas. I respected Naughty Dog’s ambition when I played the sequel two years ago, but walked away feeling like it was as swollen as one of the series’ Bloaters. After revisiting both The Last of Us and its excellent Left Behind DLC in the new PS5 remake, I feel more sure of my original critique. The Last of Us works because it's a lean and focused game. Part II, on the other hand, makes it clear that excess is Naughty Dog’s Achilles' heel.
From lean to bloated
What I immediately noticed in my replay of The Last of Us is that there’s barely a wasted moment. From its tense opening sequence to its gripping final hour, most scenes play a crucial role in the story. For instance, the winter-set chapter where Ellie takes charge serves as an important way to show how Joel’s ruthlessness has begun to infect her. My mind wandered once or twice during my 12-hour playthrough.

Read more
The Last of Us Part 1: best weapon upgrades
Ellie aiming a rifle.

Everything is scarce in The Last of Us Part 1. You will constantly be running low on supplies, ammo, health, and maybe even hope. This game functions a lot like survival horror games, in which managing your inventory is just as important as being able to land that critical headshot. Your arsenal, in terms of firearms, is not terribly large, but you do have the ability to upgrade each weapon in a number of ways to help you make the most of every precious bullet you find.

Weapon upgrades, just like skill upgrades, are not free -- they both cost a limited resource. However, weapon upgrades also have an extra layer of restriction in that you can't simply stop and upgrade a weapon whenever you feel like it. When you are able to upgrade, you also have to consider which gun you want to invest in, how you want to invest in it, or if you want to save up for a future weapon or a more expensive upgrade later. It's a delicate balance, but we've picked the best weapon upgrades to help you survive your journey in The Last of Us Part 1.
How to upgrade weapons

Read more