The Last of Us Part II sells 4 million copies in three days, setting new record

By Don Reisinger June 26, 2020

Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II has set a new launch sales record with 4 million units sold in its first three days on store shelves.

The Last of Us Part II’s record makes it the “fastest-selling first-party PlayStation 4 exclusive ever,” Sony senior vice president of PlayStation marketing Eric Lempel said in a blog post on Friday. Naughty Dog, which developed the game, is a wholly owned Sony development house.

“We are so immensely grateful to the millions of fans around the world that have played The Last of Us Part II and shared their experiences with us over the last week,” Naughty Dog vice president Neil Druckmann said in a statement. “We set out to tell a new kind of story, one that deals with difficult themes and would challenge you in unexpected ways. Hearing how the experience has resonated with so many of you and witnessing the type of thoughtful discussions it has sparked has been so incredible.”

The Last of Us Part II took the top spot from Marvel’s Spider-Man, which snagged 3.3 million unit sales during its first three days of availability in 2018.

The Last of Us Part II, which launched on the PlayStation 4 last Friday, was one of the most anticipated launches of the year, thanks to its wildly successful debut on the PlayStation 3 in 2013. The second release also earned rave reviews from critics, including Digital Trends Gaming Section Editor Lisa Marie Segarra. Segarra called the game “a dark masterpiece” and said it “will go down as a classic game that people talk about for years to come, not unlike the first iteration.” She gave the game five out of five stars.

Friday, Druckmann told the Kinda Funny Gamecast in an interview that Naughty Dog has “no plans” to release The Last of Us Part II DLC. Naughty Dog released a popular expansion to the game called The Last of Us: Left Behind in 2014. Druckmann did not, however, reference rumors that a multiplayer version of The Last of Us may be in the works for an eventual launch on the PlayStation 5.

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Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…

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The Last of Us Part I makes Part II’s flaws much more apparent

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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.
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The Last of Us Part 1: best weapon upgrades

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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.
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The Last of Us Part 1: All Training Manual locations

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