While fans of The Last of Us Part 2 have been waiting for Naughty Dog to issue a concrete release date, especially have numerous delays and from concerns of the coronavirus pandemic, June 19th has been revealed as the official final release date, or at the very least a somewhat firm date. But this isn’t the only news regarding the long-awaited sequel; Last of Us Part 2 has leaked online, ending and all.
While it’s rumored that a disgruntled employee is to blame due to a payment dispute, it’s also likely this is due to the reporting from Kotaku that detailed a crunch-focused workplace. Again, there is no factual proof at this time, but considering the amount of content that has leaked, it’s unlikely that a third-party source had all of this to share.
The content that has leaked is a collection of gameplay, levels, playable characters, cutscenes, and developer menus, detailing a great deal of not just the story, but the relationships Ellie has with various characters in the game. While the initial wave of leaked content has since been removed by Sony, viewers of this content have since shared it on social media, various gaming forums, proving once again that if it found its way onto the internet, it will live there forever.
I obviously won’t be detailing the specifics of the content as it’s highly irresponsible to do so, nor will I even take a glance at it, but those that have had mentioned their opinions about the potentially controversial ending with many debating if they will still purchase the game or cancel their preorders outright. While this type of this is usually all talk, given boycotts never ever working for fear of missing out, it’s still interesting to see how fandom reacts to situations like this. Honestly, I don’t see these leaks having any input on the sales of the game, given the pedigree of Naughty Dog for releasing game of the year contender products. While sure, it will have an impact on one’s enjoyment, especially if the content is ruined for you, but I don’t this having an effect on sales whatsoever.
With how substantial this leak is, detailing nearly every single pivotal plot point, it’s hard to say how Naughty Dog themselves will react to this news or how they will reach out to the public. The game is set to release in just under two months now, giving the team no chance to alter the story or change up moments to keep some surprises fresh. It’s also going to be a social media mine-field to avoid spoilers, let alone click-bait Youtube thumbnails that tend to spoil big moments due to them showing up via the algorithm. It’s going to be interesting to see if many will be able to avoid having their most anticipated game of the year being spoiled for them.
I’ll be updating the article with Naughty Dog’s response, as well if the truth behind who leaked the game is revealed. Stay Tunes and be careful out there.
Update: 5-01-20 - Sony has since updated the information regarding the leak to that of a third party and not that of any employee of Naughty Dog. While the leak’s source has not and likely will not be released to the public, it’s still nice to know that Naughty Dog, or someone who works there, wasn’t part of this awful situation.