Earlier this morning, a report from Kotaku hit the web claiming that The Last of Us Part II would be pushed to spring 2020. It’s no longer up for speculation, folks. Creative Director Neil Druckmann has confirmed the sequel is being pushed out of its originally scheduled February 2020 launch date. Now the next chapter in Ellie’s journey will come to the PlayStation 4 on May 29, 2020.
Druckmann shared the news in a PlayStation Blog post, while also touching on the reason for the delay. In working to wrap up the game, Druckmann explained, the team realized it didn’t have enough time to “bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality.”
Apparently, the studio had two options from which to choose. Either parts of the experience could be comprised, or development could go on for a longer period of time. Evidently, Naughty Dog went with the latter choice. This will provide extra time to ensure The Last of Us Part II receives the quality expected of a Naughty Dog title. In addition, it reduces stress on the development team.
News of the sequel’s delay comes only weeks after Sony and Naughty Dog announced the February 2020 release date. Said announcement featured alongside new gameplay footage, special edition details, and the reveal of an art book from Dark Horse. How the latter’s release may be affected The Last of Us Part II’s delay currently remains to be seen.
Such a decision is undoubtedly for the better. Fans may recall Druckmann once explaining that the original game’s delay was essential to the project’s being so well received. Had Naughty Dog not pushed it by several weeks, it may not have become among the PlayStation 3’s masterpieces. Who knows? Something similar could one day be said of The Last of Us Part II.
[Source: PlayStation Blog]
