The Last of Us Part II (or just The Last of Us 2) is an upcoming action-adventure/survival horror game for the PlayStation 4. Developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, it is a sequel to 2013’s The Last of Us.
In the lead-up to launch, we've compiled all the news, trailers, and rumors about The Last of Us 2, from initial fan speculation about the sequel and its official announcement at PSX 2016 to now.
Here’s everything you need to know about The Last of Us 2.
The Last of Us 2: The Basics
- Release date: N/A
- Platform(s): PlayStation 4
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Genre: Action-Adventure/Survival Horror
The Last of Us 2 Rumor Mill
Back in 2014, The Last of Us co-director Neil Druckmann told Eurogamer that ideas for a Last of Us sequel and original IP were being brainstormed, but nothing was for certain.
Rumors about The Last of Us 2 really picked up steam in June 2015 after actor Nolan North hinted at its existence during a Q&A panel at Florida anime convention Metrocon. Around the same time, actor Troy Baker, who voiced Joel, claimed ignorance of The Last of Us 2 during a panel at Indy PopCon.
Fans weren’t sure who to believe.
In September 2015, Naughty Dog hosted a livestream about the Nathan Drake Collection where Uncharted 4 co-writer Josh Scherr accidentally alluded to the existence of The Last of Us 2.
“All the facial animation in the Uncharted series was led up by Eric, here," said Scherr, "and [on] the first The Last of Us. Uh, did I say the first The Last of Us?”
The Last of Us 2 Announced and Story Details Revealed
After all the unintentional teasing and rumors, The Last of Us 2 was officially announced at PlayStation Experience in 2016 under the official title The Last of Us Part II.
Its reveal trailer showed a more grown-up Ellie as well as the return of Joel.
During a PSX panel that same day, co-director Neil Druckmann revealed some story details about The Last of Us 2. If The Last of Us was a story about love, explained Druckmann, then The Last of Us 2 is a story about hate. It’s set five years after the events of the first game, with Ellie now 19-years-old and, according to Druckmann, “the star” of the story.
Cast and Talent Comes and Goes
A few news stories regarding the talent behind The Last of Us 2 also emerged shortly following its announcement, namely that The Last of Us co-director Bruce Straley would not return for the sequel and that Druckmann co-wrote the script with Westworld’s Halley Gross, a credited writer on two episodes for the HBO drama’s first season.
Gross also wouldn’t be the only Westworld talent joining The Last of Us 2. In April 2017, Shannon Woodward, the actress who plays Elsie, tweeted her excitement about landing a role in The Last of Us 2, but did not offer specifics about her character.
In September 2017,Straley announced his departure from Naughty Dogafter 18 years with the company.
The Last of Us 2 Gets a Second Trailer
During Paris Games Week in October 2017, the second trailer for The Last of Us 2 debuted. It was much more brutal than the first: a woman is dragged through a rainy forest by hooded figures who hang her from a tree. Another woman attempts to cut her abdomen, but the group is ambushed by two others, who rescue the hanged woman. At the very end, the three brace for an oncoming horde of Infected. The new trailer left us with several theories and questions.
Accompanying the new trailer, Naughty Dog posted several tweets revealing more of The Last of Us 2’s cast: Victoria Grace as Yara, Ian Alexander as Lev, a “guest appearance” from Emily Swallow as Emily, and Laura Bailey as the woman in the trailer who has yet to be named.
During a panel at PSX 2017 in December (which was accompanied by a performance from Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker), Druckmann confirmed The Last of Us 2 would take place partially in Seattle, which was a popular fan theory that had popped up a few months prior. Druckmann hinted at a potential pregnancy in the game, spoke on the story’s darker tone, and gave a rough estimate of current progress at about 50 to 60 percent.
Druckmann also confirmed that the first footage of The Last of Us 2 gameplay would be coming at E3 2018.
The Lead-Up to E3: Inspirations and a Promotion
At the DICE Summit in February 2018, Druckmann spoke about some inspirations for The Last of Us, including Children of Men. For the sequel, he specifically cited the Netflix original series The End of the F***ing World and its influence on The Last of Us 2’s dialogue.
In March 2018, Naughty Dog formally announced Druckmann’s promotion to vice president of the company and confirmed his continued role as creative director on The Last of Us 2.
Chloi Rad is an Editor at IGN. Follow her on Twitter at @_chloi.
