After first revealing The Last of Us Part II back at 2016’s PlayStation Experience event, Neil Druckmann, who is the creative director at Naughty Dog, said that, while the developer did have a release date in mind, he wasn’t going to reveal it until the game was further in its development cycle. Unfortunately, it’s been almost three years since then, and the Sony-owned studio still hasn’t provided any information regarding a potential release date for TLOU Part II.
But, while Naughty Dog hasn’t even teased a release date for the game, its co-director, Kurt Margenau, talked about the game’s narrative during a recent interview with Newsweek, as he promised that the writing will end up surprising most people.
“It’s a given people will be surprised by the writing, the story twists and turns, and the relationships that build throughout the game,” said Naughty Dog’s co-director during his chat with Newsweek. “Continuing the Joel and Ellie relationship as we get into this game and getting to see what’s happened in the last five years.”
Of course, because he’s barely been featured in any of the trailers so far, some fans believe that Joel is going to end up being dead in the sequel. But, in the game’s reveal trailer, Ellie is shown speaking with Joel after she’s done performing her musical number, so it’s probably safe to assume that the first game’s main character is alive in the sequel.
Just because Joel starts the game alive doesn’t mean that he’s going to end up surviving in The Last of Us Part II. Some would argue that it makes sense for him to end up getting killed in the sequel, especially when you consider the fact that Naughty Dog has made Ellie the game’s main protagonist.
Troy Baker, who is the voice actor for Joel, was asked about the game during the Manchester Comic-Con event, and he responded by saying that, as much as fans are clamoring for it, they’re not ready for The Last of Us Part II. He didn’t end up explaining why he thinks people aren’t ready for the sequel, nor did he provide any information regarding the game’s release date.
Rumor has it that The Last of Us Part II will be released in May of next year and that four different editions of the game will be available. It’s also rumored that Sony will host an event this coming fall where they’ll reveal the release date for what’s arguably their most anticipated exclusive game.
