Although it isn’t releasing this year, The Last of Us Part 2 is very high on gamers’ lists for the most anticipated games left to release during this console generation. In part that is because of the pedigree of developer Naughty Dog and the success of the prior game, but that intrigue also stems from the fact that so little has been shown and said about the game.
While it wasn’t for public eyes, a new piece of The Last of Us 2 gameplay was shown at the Gamestop GME Conference in Austin this week. It was the first time that new footage of the game has been shown since E3 2018, but unfortunately the Gamestop employees, managers, and colleagues that attended were not able to comment on what they saw.
In addition to the new Last of Us 2 gameplay, Gamestop conference attendees were treated to a presentation that included appearances by Troy Baker, Shannon Woodward, and Arne Meyer. Baker plays Joel in The Last of Us series. Woodward plays Dina, Ellie’s love interest seen in the E3 2018 gameplay footage for The Last of Us 2. And Arne Meyer is the Director of Communications for Naughty Dog, having been with the developer for decades now.
Baker’s appearance is arguably the most interesting because, up until now, The Last of Us 2 has not shown fans any gameplay trailers or footage featuring Joel. This has led to a number of theories about Joel’s status in the sequel – whether he’s alive or dead – but Naughty Dog has not shied away from highlighting that Baker is involved. Perhaps the gameplay shown at the Gamestop conference finally offered a look at Joel or some hint regarding his whereabouts.
For those fans who are curious about what was shown at the Gamestop Expo, the wait might not be too long. September 26th, better known as Outbreak Day to Last of Us fans, is about a month away and would be a likely candidate for the next trailer (and possibly more). As a “celebration” of the day that the virus in the game reached critical mass, Outbreak Day has given Naughty Dog an opportunity to reward its fans. Last year’s event, however, was focused on merchandise, so there is the potential for hopes to be dashed.
Nevertheless, The Last of Us 2 is one of Sony’s last big exclusives for the PS4 and there’s only so much time left before the PS5 releases. Naughty Dog is going to start talking about the game at length sooner or later – some even believe that The Last of Us 2 might release as early as February 2020.
The Last of Us Part 2 will be available on PS4.