Naughty Dog has issued a statement regarding the targeted harassment multiple people involved with The Last of Us 2 have faced since the game's launch. The issue has ranged from sharp critiques of The Last of Us 2's characters, plot, and gameplay to death threats against both developers and actors that worked on the project.

In the statement, which Naughty Dog released on Twitter, the studio welcomed honest criticism and feedback for The Last of Us 2, but denounced the actions taken by toxic members of the community, stating, "Although we welcome critical discussion, we condemn any form of harassment or threats directed toward our team and cast." Naughty Dog went on to encourage working together for honest and compassionate discourse online.

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Last of Us 2 Voice Actress Laura Bailey revealed multiple death threats she received for her role as Abby, one of the game's main characters. Criticism of Abby's character seems to stem from the actions she takes during the game's story, which have been unpopular with a vocal minority of the game's detractors. In a tweet revealing some of the messages she had received, Bailey referred to the harassment campaign as "overwhelming," but thanked the fans that sent positive messages.

Bailey wasn't the only one to share the messages they had received over the weekend. Naughty Dog VP and Last of Us 2 Director Neil Druckmann also revealed messages he had received, which included a barrage of death threats, anti-semitism, and transphobia. Druckmann also welcomed constructive feedback for The Last of Us 2, but was quick to classify threats he received as vile.

The Last of Us 2 was review bombed on Metacritic within hours after the game released, though it's user score  has steadily begun to rise. The game includes homosexual and trans characters, which appears to be the motivation behind some of the game's hate. Mot honest critique of the game from fans has been more or less buried by the slew of harassment online.

However, The Last of Us 2 continues to achieve impressive sales milestones and has garnered an incredibly positive response from critics online. There are still those that walked away disappointed from the game, of course, but the game has proven to be quite the contender for the best PlayStation exclusive title.

The Last of Us 2 is available now for PS4.

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