For a developer who’s slaved away on a title, giving up all hours of their life and waiting to reveal it to the world, there’s nothing than a leak that ruins the experience. This is exactly what The Last of Us Part II developer, Naughty Dog is currently facing. Thanks to a currently unknown person/s, that many are assuming is part of the development team, several leaked videos from the game have surfaced on the internet.
Of course, when even something is released onto the internet, there’s no way to remove it. So far more than a few people on Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube have already started reposting these videos like wildfire. Which has tempted both the curious, frustrated those who are eagerly awaiting on the game, and disappointed both Naughty Dog and The Last of Us Part II Director, Neil Druckmann. Both of them have expressed their displeasure about these leaks via Twitter earlier today.
A message from the studio: pic.twitter.com/f0TzIZXUIB
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 27, 2020
Heartbroken for the team. Heartbroken for our fans. We’re still incredibly excited to get the game into your hands. ❤️ https://t.co/QWKLU6I6Q3
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) April 27, 2020
As you’d imagine, people have responded to both of these requests in the harshest of ways, as such is the internet. Citing that Naughty Dog overworks their employees and that the leak was justified, which is complete nonsense. While others have come to the defense of Naughty Dog, advising others to block anyone who posts the leaked footage.
So far, Naughty Dog hasn’t mentioned if they plan on identifying who leaked the footage in the first place. Though I’d imagine they would do so, even if they didn’t mention it. A leak such as this, while doesn’t hurt the game, does through some insult to everyone who worked on the game, as well as those who have been holding out for the eventual release date.
That said, PlayStation and Naughty Dog announced when we’ll finally get our hands on The Last of Us Part II, which is this June 19, 2020. That’s still two months away and for many, this is going to be the hardest two weeks they’ll endure, outside of COVID-19, as they try to dodge the leaked footage.
As for me, I’ve already set up my blocks on any rumors and gameplay leaks and scheduled my vacation accordingly. Needless to say, I can’t for June 19 to get here.
