The Last of Us Part 2 leakers identified — they’re not from Sony or Naughty Dog

By Aaron Mamiit May 2, 2020

The people behind the massive The Last of Us Part 2 leak have been identified, and contrary to rumors, they are not affiliated with developer Naughty Dog or parent company Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Last week, footage of The Last of Us Part 2 surfaced online, and while Sony is trying its best to take down all the videos, spoilers continue to spread across social media. The leaks include a level list and cutscenes from what appeared to be an internal build of the game, including important plot points and the game’s ending.

Early speculation suggested that the person behind the leak was a disgruntled Naughty Dog employee, in relation to the reported crunch culture at the studio. However, it appears that the rumors were not true.

Sony has identified the leakers, who have been determined to not be connected to either Naughty Dog or Sony Interactive Entertainment, a representative for Sony told Polygon.

“SIE has identified the primary individuals responsible for the unauthorized release of TLOU2 assets. They are not affiliated with Naughty Dog or SIE. We are unable to comment further because the information is subject to an on-going investigation,” the representative said in a statement.

“We’re looking forward to when The Last of Us Part II will be in your hands and can’t wait for you to enjoy the full experience on June 19.”

While Sony has tracked down the people behind the leaks, we do not yet know what will happen to them. However, the damage may have already been done, as going online is like entering a minefield for gamers trying to avoid The Last of Us Part 2 spoilers.

How to avoid The Last of Us Part 2 leaks

The Last of Us Part 2, which was supposed to roll out on May 29, was delayed to June 19. While the extra three weeks of waiting might not seem like much, it means that players trying to avoid spoilers will need to keep dodging them for almost seven more weeks.

To avoid The Last of Us Part 2 spoilers, suggested actions include using Twitter’s built-in word-muting functions, removing YouTube’s suggested videos, using an extension to filter posts on Facebook, and blocking certain words on Reddit.

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The Last of Us finale makes a subtle change from the game to set up season 2

Joel holds the surgeons at gunpoint in The Last of Us' finale.

HBO viewers were rocked Sunday night by the finale of The Last of Us, which brought the iconic ending of Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed game to life in live-action. It was an extremely faithful adaptation, with no huge deviations from the source material. However, a key change was made that will help the show more gracefully transition into its adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.
Note: Spoilers for The Last of Us TV show and The Last of Us Part II video game to follow.
At the climax of The Last of Us Season 1's final episode, we see Joel annihilate most of the Fireflies and doctors at the Salt Lake City hospital as they prepare to operate on Ellie to get a cure, which would have killed her in the process. It's a chilling sequence that hits the same dubious, morally horrifying notes as it did in the game, and little is changed.
We see Joel kill the surgeon about to operate on Ellie after he picks up a scalpel and says he won't let Joel take her. Joel shoots him in cold blood, but does not kill the nurses assisting him. As he walks out of the room with Ellie, a shot lingers on the face of the now-deceased surgeon, punctuating Joel's massacre.

That may sound like a small cinematic altercation, but that lingering shot is very meaningful to those of us that played The Last of Us Part II. In the original game, we don't think much about Joel's victim; he's just some nameless doctor. In Part II, however, we meet that doctor's daughter, Abby, who's on a quest for revenge. What's a thoughtless action for Joel becomes deeply personal for someone he's never met.
By adding in that extra shot, the finale more confidently sets that up. Even if casual viewers don't know it yet, the groundwork is being laid for something that will be very important in the next season and makes it clear that the show knows where it's going.
The finale further teases what's to come with a smart bit of casting. Eagle-eyed fans may notice that one of the nurses during the scene is played by Laura Bailey, who portrays Abby in The Last of Us Part II. It's likely just the show paying tribute to the game's cast (as it did in episode 8 with Troy Baker, who voiced Joel in the video games), but it's also another way to tease what's to come in the next season. Abby is coming for Joel. Prepare your golf balls.
Of course, when Naughty Dog released The Last of Us in 2013, it didn't yet know that this doctor would play such a pivotal part in the sequel's story, so not as much focus was put on him in the game. The developers retroactively tried to correct this with a retelling of the sequence from Abby's perspective in The Last of Us Part II and updated models in the game's remake.
Showrunners Craig Maizin and Neil Druckmann have the benefit of knowing this moment's importance from the start and not being locked to Joel's third-person perspective. They can now take the time to linger with a shot like this, emphasizing what Joel has done and laying the groundwork for what comes next. It's a short and subtle shot that slightly deviates from the original game, but it's also something that could only be done in this TV show and will certainly be hugely important for the show as we head into season 2.
The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.