No more setbacks, no more delays, and no more leaks (hopefully), because Naughty Dog has confirmed that The Last of Us 2 has gone gold, meaning development is complete and the heavily-anticipated sequel is now ready to be put onto game discs and the PlayStation Network ahead of its release next month.
It can’t be stated enough just how intense the last couple of months have been for Sony, Naughty Dog, and the entire Last of Us fanbase, a period of uncertainty marked by both coronavirus-related setbacks beyond anyone’s control and one of the most spoiler-laden video game leaks ever. It’s been a pretty dark time, to say the least, but if there’s any consolation, it’s that Naughty Dog’s part in getting the game out is done.
“I just want to take this moment to congratulate the team that has pulled off the most ambitious game we've ever made,” director Neil Druckmann said in the video announcing the completion of TheLast of Us 2’s development. Additionally, he took the time to stress just how much care has been put into every aspect of the game, from the level design and gameplay mechanics to the story and soundtrack. All of it has come together to create a feat of technical and narrative design that Druckmann says everyone involved is “extremely proud” of.
He also took the opportunity to soothe the concerns of many fans who may have been exposed to the spoilery contents of last week’s leak. He had to keep things vague to avoid getting into even more spoilers, but ultimately he assured everyone that what was leaked won’t be enough to take away from what they’ll be able to experience for themselves next month. “The last thing I will say is no matter what you've seen or heard or read, nothing compares to playing this thing from beginning to end. It's a video game, you got to play it,” he said.
Only a few short weeks remain until the seven-year wait for a new Last of Us game comes to an end, but that might not be all that fans will get in the near future. A TV adaptation of The Last of Us is currently in the works at HBO, and while it’s too soon to say for sure if that will pan out, it’s still a promising sign of what fans have to look forward to.
The Last of Us 2 launches on June 19 exclusively for the PS4.
