Director Neil Druckmann Provides Update On Naughty Dog’s Indefinitely Delayed The Last Of Us Part II
Developer Naughty Dog announced that the highly anticipated sequel to The Last Of Us will be delayed citing logistics issues, most likely because of the current COVID-19 situation.
With many workers stuck at home under quarantine and social distancing orders, this announcement comes as no surprise.
In a statement on Twitter, the studio cited “logistics beyond our control” as the reason for the delay, but didn’t give a timetable for how long it would last.
A message from us about the delay of The Last of Us Part II: pic.twitter.com/aGsSRfmJ8a
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 2, 2020
The statement reads in part:
“…due to logistics beyond our control, we couldn’t launch the Last of Us Part II to our satisfaction. We want to make sure everyone gets to play the Last Of Us Part II around the same time, ensuring that we’re doing everything possible to preserve the best experience for everyone. This meant delaying the game until such a time where we can solve these logistic issues.”
The statement would go on to say that the studio would update everyone in the future when they have more information.
Naughty Dog also reiterated their hopes that this wouldn’t be a long delay.
“We were bummed about this decision but ultimately understood it’s what’s best and fair to all of our players. We’re hoping that this won’t be a long delay and we’ll update you as soon as we have new information to share.”
The announcement wasn’t all bad news, however.
The studio confirmed that development was “nearly done” and that the game was in the process of having its final bugs fixed.
Vice President of Naughty Dog Neil Druckmann added, “Extremely sad to deliver this news to y’all. Ultimately the situation is out of our control. We hope you understand. Stay safe out there.”
Extremely sad to deliver this news to y’all. Ultimately, the situation is out of our control. We hope you understand. Stay safe out there. ❤️ https://t.co/fqvp6sraX6
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) April 2, 2020
Druckmann also discussed the game on the Official PlayStation Blogcast. As reported by IGN, he noted that there actually hasn’t been an official decision on whether or not the game will be released digitally, insinuating the logistics issue is the shipment of physical copies.
Druckmann stated, “Well, there hasn’t been a final decision yet; right now we’re just reacting.”
He added, “You know, it’s a different retail chain – whether we could get physical copies to people. What is the internet infrastructure there to support it in all countries? This is a worldwide game that people in every country are waiting for, and we want to make sure we’re fair.”
Druckmann elaborated, “If we just get it to a small fraction of people, what about all the people that don’t get it? Right now we’re looking at all sorts of different options: what’s the best way to get it to all of our fans as soon as possible? But that’s gonna take time for us to shift and figure things out, and also see where the world’s at. You know, things are changing from day to day.”
Understandably, gamers looking forward to playing the Last Of Us Part II are quite disappointed.
The silver lining however, is that fans of the Last Of Us franchise will hopefully get a polished product on day one.
Druckmann explained they are the one-yard line when it comes to finishing the game.
“We’re at the one-yard line, I would say,” Druckmann stated. “There’s still some bugs that we’re finding that we’re squashing – we want to polish it as much as we can, taking our time to review each section and making sure it’s all Naughty Dog quality.”
Extra quality assurance time for any game is never a bad thing.
Druckmann then stated, “It’s there; that’s the frustrating part for us! The game is there. We just have to sit on it for a little bit and figure out what’s the best way to get it to our fans.”
The Last of Us Part II was initially supposed to be available on February 21, 2020. However, Druckmann announced it would be delayed until May 29, 2020 explaining the they wanted “enough time to bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality.”
There is currently no release date for the game.
Here’s the official description for the game:
“Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors.
When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure. As she hunts those responsible one by one, she is confronted with the devastating physical and emotional repercussions of her actions.”
What are your thoughts, Last of Us fans? Will this delay deter you from getting this game or will you ride it out?
Be sure to let us know what your feelings are about the Last of Us Part II in the comment section below.
Keep reading Bounding Into Comics for any updates on the development of this game and any others delayed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
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