The Last Of Us 2 Director On The Pressures Of Making A Sequel

After wrapping up PlayStation's State of Play livestream with a February 2020 release date reveal, The Last of Us Part II's director opened up about the pressures of crafting a sequel that lives up to The Last of Us' pedigree.

Game director Neil Druckmann took to the PlayStation blog to contextualize the new gameplay trailer that debuted during the State of Play presentation. Druckmann said Naughty Dog has been working on TLOU2 for five years because the studio understands "how much you love this world and its characters--especially Ellie and Joel." As a result, Naughty Dog has been toiling away delicately and intentionally, hoping to tell "a nuanced story that [will do these characters justice]."

Druckmann goes on to state that TLOU2 is "a highly emotional story with complex themes that befit the world of The Last of Us," admitting that the sequel is Naughty Dog's "most ambitious and longest game in our 35-year history." He also states TLOU2 "needed to be massive" in order to tell its story. Reports suggest that TLOU2 is split between two discs.

Druckmann confirmed that more information about TLOU2 will arrive on Thursday, September 26 in celebration of Outbreak Day. "Inspired by the day the cordyceps fungus reached critical mass, every September 26 we celebrate The Last of Us community and we've got some exciting things planned," he wrote.

PlayStation revealed that The Last of Us Remastered will be part of October's PS Plus lineup during the State of Play livestream. We also learned a few new details about TLOU2, including how old Joel's gotten, the knowledge that his brother's still alive, Ellie and her friend Dina smoking what appears to be a joint, and more.