The release of Last of Us Part II could surprisingly underperform. | Source: Naughty Dog/PlayStation
The Last of Us Part 2 finally has a new release date after coronavirus delayed the previous one. Naughty Dog’s latest will release on June 19th, according to a post on the PlayStation Blog . But with story details leaking online, will anybody be left to buy the game?
CCN.com has already reported on the significant story details leaking. Footage of the game is all over YouTube and Twitter. Some players are asking for an immediate digital release as a result.
After all, the delay was seemingly due to struggles in shipping physical products.
Instead, the game is now being ruined for millions. Some so much so that they’re not buying it anymore. This is partly due to spoiled details, and partly due to the content matter.
One user claims the story is too preachy. They’re instead opting for another playthrough of Days Gone.
Rather than waiting for COVID-19 to calm down, Naughty Dog is biting the bullet and releasing less than a month after the initial release date.
But, they’re only doing so because the damage is done.
The plot is now out in the open, and Naughty Dog needs to mitigate the damage. A better idea would be to release the game immediately.
After all, The Last of Us Part 2 was close to gold before the original delay to May 29th.
Sony’s blog post claims June will see “an ease in the global distribution environment,” but is that just a cover-up? Reports state the pandemic will extend much past the summer . I read this excerpt more as “the leaks will impact our sales, so we’re releasing despite our original claims.”
Honestly, they shouldn’t have delayed The Last of Us Part 2 in the first place. This release date proves the game was in a fine enough state before delays started, whether this was due to crunch or otherwise.
After all, Animal Crossing is selling just fine, and it released right at the start of quarantining.
On the bright side, we know The Last of Us Part 2 wasn’t moved to PlayStation 5 exclusivity. Here’s to hoping one of the last current-gen games will deliver on the hype.