Update: Naughty Dog has acknowledged early leaks and spoilers for The Last of Us 2 story in an update on its official Twitter account.
The studio admits that it's "disappointing" to see the early footage and associated plot points circulating online, but maintains that "the final experience will be worth it" no matter what you see before then.
A message from the studio: pic.twitter.com/f0TzIZXUIBApril 27, 2020
A Sony Interactive Entertainment spokesperson also gave us a statement from the company: "We’re disappointed that anyone would release unauthorized pre-launch footage of The Last of Us Part 2, disrupt years of Naughty Dog’s hard work and ruin the experience for fans worldwide.
"We want everyone to have the opportunity to play The Last of Us Part 2 at the same time and ask that viewing or sharing of the unauthorized footage be avoided."
You won't have too much longer to wait, as Naughty Dog and Sony have confirmed the new The Last of Us 2 release date is set for June.
Original story follows
More gameplay footage of The Last of Us 2 has been published online, revealing major story spoilers for the upcoming PS4 exclusive, including its cutscenes, level lists, and what appears to be the full plot.
The footage was quickly taken down by Sony, but fans have provided a full, super spoilery breakdown online. If you can't stand not knowing all the details, or if you'd rather just get it done with ahead of time instead of having to avoid social media for months, you can (SPOILER WARNING) check out this Resetera thread.
Suffice to say, we absolutely encourage you not to read it if you want to go into The Last of Us 2 blind, and those who have indulged themselves have already warned that the details have potentially ruined the game for them.
It's not whether Sony could release The Last of Us 2 digitally, it's whether it should
On the other hand, we know that others enjoy knowing about a game's story before playing, or simply aren't that invested in Naughty Dog's apocalyptic coming of age saga, so have at it if that's you.
After The Last of Us 2 was delayed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, neither Sony nor Naughty Dog has provided an update on a new release date for the highly anticipated title. If these leaks continue to appear online, their hand may be forced for a digital exclusive release, though the logistics of such an operation are potentially just as problematic.
Meanwhile, Ghost of Tsushima is still set to launch for PS4 on June 26, with next gen console the PS5 also apparently fixed on its Holiday 2020 release window even amidst the continued spread of the coronavirus. We've reached out to PlayStation about these Last of Us 2 leaks, and will let you know if or when we hear anything back.
For more, check out everything revealed in Last of Us 2's Outbreak Day info drop, or watch below for our hands-on gameplay preview of the sequel.
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