Honestly, trying to pin down the The Last of Us Part 2 release date feels like tracking a ghost through a Seattle blizzard. If you feel like you've seen three different "official" launch days, you aren't crazy. You're just paying attention.
Naughty Dog’s masterpiece didn't just drop once and call it a day. It had a chaotic birth on PS4, a polished rebirth on PS5, and a long-awaited arrival for the "Master Race" crowd on PC.
The June 19, 2020 Milestone
The world was a mess. 2020 was the year of lockdowns, and the The Last of Us Part 2 release date of June 19 became a lighthouse for gamers stuck at home. But it almost didn't happen then.
Initially, Sony told us February 21, 2020. Then they blinked. They pushed it to May. Then, as the pandemic shuttered shipping lanes, they delayed it indefinitely. Fans panicked. Spoilers leaked online, threatening to ruin years of secret-keeping. Finally, in a "now or never" moment, the game hit PS4.
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It was a brutal, beautiful, and deeply divisive 25-hour epic. Love it or hate it, that June morning changed the industry.
The Remastered Jump to PS5
Fast forward to early 2024. If you were lucky enough to snag a PS5, you probably wanted more than just backward compatibility. On January 19, 2024, Naughty Dog delivered The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered.
This wasn't just a resolution bump. They added:
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- No Return: A roguelike survival mode that is way harder than it looks.
- The Lost Levels: Unfinished slices of the game with developer commentary that explains why they were cut.
- Guitar Free Play: For the musicians who just wanted to vibe in the apocalypse.
Basically, if you already owned the PS4 version, the $10 upgrade was a steal. If you didn't, it became the definitive way to see Ellie’s face in 4K.
The PC Crowd Finally Gets Their Turn
For years, PC players felt like the younger sibling left out of the party. But as 2024 closed, the news finally broke at The Game Awards. The official The Last of Us Part 2 release date for Windows was set for April 3, 2025.
Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy handled the heavy lifting here. After the rough launch of the first game's PC port, people were nervous. This time, they took their time. They needed it to run on everything from a Steam Deck to a liquid-cooled beast with an RTX 50-series card.
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The PC version included all the Remastered goodies from the PS5—the roguelike mode, the enhanced visuals—and finally let people play with a mouse and keyboard. Sniping Shamblers has never felt quite so precise.
Why the Timing Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we're still talking about release dates years later. It's because of the "HBO Effect." With the second season of the show having aired in 2025, a whole new wave of people is just now discovering why Ellie is so angry.
They aren't looking for a 2020 history lesson. They want to know when they can play the story they just saw on TV.
If you are just starting your journey, the path is clear. Forget the old PS4 discs unless you're a collector. The Remastered version on PS5 or PC is the only way to go. It’s smoother, prettier, and frankly, the "Lost Levels" alone are worth the entry price if you care about how games are actually built.
What You Should Do Now
- Check your library: If you own the PS4 version, don't pay full price for the Remaster. Go to the PlayStation Store and look for the $10 upgrade path.
- Optimize your PC: If you’re playing on Windows, ensure your drivers are updated specifically for the April 2025 build; the optimization patches released shortly after launch significantly improved frame pacing on mid-range builds.
- Diving into No Return: Don't jump straight into the hardest difficulty. The roguelike mode is punishing, and you’ll want to unlock characters like Lev and Mel before trying a "Grounded" run.