Hitting the internet just days before release, new cutscene leaks for Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us II have revealed the true nature of the events surrounding Joel’s death, a major plot twist first seen in the previous set of leaks.
First posted to the sub-Reddit community /r/TheLastofUs2, the cutscenes were recorded and uploaded as a series of three videos by /u/Aniohevlaaz.
The first cutscene shows new playable character Abby and Owen, an NPC introduced in The Last of Us II, arriving upon the settlement in Jackson County, Wyoming, where Joel’s brother Tommy (and, at the time, Joel) are currently residing. After arriving, Abby is eager to rush in and find Joel, to which Owen tells her that he is unsure about the personal risk faced from her lack of a plan, especially now that his wife is pregnant.
Later in the game, a player-controlled Abby is rescued from a horde of Infected and led to temporary safety by Tommy and Joel. After finding a moment to catch their breath after locking themselves in a cabin, Abby suggests that the trio go to her friend’s place in a mansion a small ways north, to which Tommy and Joel almost immediately agree.
Upon reaching Abby’s ‘friends,’ Joel and Tommy again introduce themselves without caution, to which the group replies that they’re already aware of their identities. As the strangers move to surround the two brothers, Abby pulls the trigger on a shotgun and disables Joel’s leg while her friends restrain Tommy from fighting back.
When Joel tells her to hurry up and finish him off, Abby orders his leg to be bandaged, relinquishes the shotgun, grabs a golf club, and orders her compatriots to leave the room as she tells Joel “you don’t get to rush this.”
What follows is the now infamous ‘golfing’ scene, in which Abby beats Joel to death with the club in revenge for killing her father.
Curiously, Joel can be seen in these cutscenes constantly sharing his name, whether when shouting to Tommy or volunteering it to the group at the mansion, as well as instantly agreeing to cooperate and trust strangers the moment he meets them.
This is a stark contrast to his cautious behavior in the first game, such as when he explicitly tells Ellie not to reveal her immunity to anyone.
Or when he anticipates a Hunters’ ambush after seeing through an obviously staged scene.
And when he chastises Ellie after she immediately offers their assistance to Henry and Sam moments after meeting them.
The Last of Us II releases for the PlayStation 4 on June 19th.
What do you make of this new leak?