Highly anticipated: If you play games to experience a gripping story, there's a good chance you're already aware of and looking forward to The Last of Us Part II; the sequel to Naughty Dog's critically-acclaimed The Last of Us. The original game first launched back in June of 2013, so fans of the franchise's post-apocalyptic theme and survival-oriented gameplay have been waiting the better part of 6 years for another entry. Fortunately, the end of that wait is finally in sight.
During Sony's State of Play livestream today, The Last of Us Part II got a new story trailer (which shows off some new and returning characters) and, at long last, a release date.
The Last of Us Part II is launching on February 21, 2020. This news may come as a slight disappointment to anyone who was hoping for a 2019 launch, but it's not exactly a surprise – many game developers are opting to release their latest creations in early 2020.
With titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, and Marvel's Avengers set to launch between January and March, The Last of Us Part II should fit in nicely. For gamers, the sheer amount of titles launching in these months will be a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, more choice is always a positive, but on the other hand, trying to snag all of those games on launch will put a sizable dent in just about anybody's budget.
Regardless, Naughty Dog fans can look forward to taking on the role of Ellie – the scrappy, young secondary protagonist from the first game – in roughly five months. From what we've seen so far, the game looks to be just as intense, bloody, and emotionally-gripping as its predecessor, so we'll likely be in for a treat.