Fans of Naughty Dog's "The Last Of Us" franchise will be glad to know that based on the signs and clues abounding, "The Last of Us 2" is likely to be released sometime in 2019. Read on for details after the jump.
So far, Naughty Dog has been silent about TLOU2's release date. It's been six years since the first installment was released and welcomed with such acclaim, but until now players have nothing but clues hinting at the sequel's release date. If these clues are true, fans will be playing TLOU2 sometime this year. Here are some of those clues.
Clues pointing to a 2019 release
A few months ago, Sony itself seemingly hinted that the game will be released in 2019. According to a post on Reddit, the official PlayStation Music YouTube channel posted a video of voice actors Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker (who plays Ellie and Joel respectively) with the caption: "Music from The Last Of Us Part II (2019) PSX Panel."
Another clue came out last month via former IGN editor Alanah Pearce, Screen Rant reported. She revealed via now-deleted tweets that TLOU2 is coming in 2019. She noted, however, that although she received the same information several times from different people, the date may change since the devs haven't announced it yet.
More clues
Now, game development-tracking website GameDevolution offers a few more clues regarding TLOU2's actual release date.
First, it noted how TLOU2 can be close to being, or is actually, completed. It noted how game director Neil Druckmann said the game was around 50-60% complete in December 2017, then hinted the following year that the game was almost finished.
According to Druckmann's tweet in December 2018, he "can't wait" to see everyone's "reaction to the full game." The change in his words seemed to say that the game went from a "50-60%" completion in 2017 to a "full game" a year later. That sounds like the game is almost ready to be released soon.
Being there and feeling the crowd’s reaction is one of the highlights of my career. Can’t wait to see y’all’s reaction to the full game. ️ https://t.co/nGJuhX2IVV — Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) December 3, 2018
In addition, TLOU soundtrack composer Gustavo Santaolalla said the game is coming out "very soon." As seen in these Reddit posts, Santaolalla was performing onstage in Kuwait when he casually mentioned that the game is coming out real soon.
Lastly, GameDevolution noted that 2019 is a significant year for TLOU, according to "The Last Of Us: American Dreams" comic. The story, written by Druckmann, is set 19 years after the original outbreak of the Cordyceps virus on September 26, 2013. In that comic, Ellie is presented as a 13-year-old teenager on her way to Boston.
Based on these details, Ellie was born in 2019. If this is anything to go by, then it adds credence to speculations of a 2019 release.
These are but rumors as Naughty Dog hasn't said anything about an official release date yet. Take it all with a grain of salt, and wait for updates as they come.
