It was a nightmare. Honestly, there isn’t a better word to describe the chaos surrounding the release date Last of Us Part 2 eventually landed on. If you were around in the gaming spheres back in late 2019 and early 2020, you remember the whiplash. One minute we were staring at a February launch, and the next, the world literally shut down, taking Naughty Dog’s plans with it. It wasn't just a delay; it was a total collapse of a marketing cycle that had been building for years.
People forget how many times the goalposts moved.
First, we had the big "State of Play" reveal in September 2019. That was the moment Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog finally gave us a date: February 21, 2020. Fans went nuclear. The hype was a physical thing you could feel on social media. But that excitement lasted all of one month before the first hammer dropped. In October, the studio pushed it back to May 29, 2020, citing the need for "polish." It’s a classic developer move, sure, but for a sequel this anticipated, it felt like a punch to the gut.
Then came COVID-19.
The global pandemic didn't just mess with development; it broke the entire physical supply chain. Sony made the agonizing call in April 2020 to delay the game "indefinitely." Think about that. One of the biggest games in history, basically finished, with no date on the calendar. It was a vacuum. And in that vacuum, the leaks happened. Massive, story-shattering spoilers flooded the internet, ruining the experience for thousands of players before they even had a chance to buy the game.
The Final Release Date Last of Us Part 2 Actually Hit
After the leaks forced Sony’s hand, they finally locked it in. The Last of Us Part 2 was released on June 19, 2020. It’s weird to think about now, but that June date was a turning point for the industry. It was the first "megablockbuster" to navigate a world where people couldn't easily go to a Midnight Launch at GameStop. Logistics were a mess. Digital sales skyrocketed because nobody knew if their physical "Ellie Edition" would actually show up on their doorstep on launch day.
I remember the tension on launch week. You couldn't open Twitter without seeing a spoiler or a heated argument about the game's direction. The delay had created this pressure cooker environment. By the time June 19 rolled around, the discourse wasn't even about the game anymore; it was about the culture war that had erupted around it. Naughty Dog was dealing with a leaked script, a global health crisis, and a fanbase that had been waiting seven years for a sequel.
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What most people get wrong about the delays
A lot of folks think the delays were just about the story being "controversial" or Naughty Dog wanting to fix the ending. That's just not true. The reality is much more boring and much more technical. Naughty Dog is notorious for "crunch." They iterate until the very last second. Even without a pandemic, that May 29 date was probably looking tight.
When the release date Last of Us Part 2 shifted from May to June, it was almost entirely about "logistics." Sony's leadership, including Jim Ryan, had to figure out if they could actually print and ship millions of blue plastic cases to countries under lockdown. If you can't get the game into the hands of 50% of your audience, you don't launch. Simple as that.
Remastered Versions and the PS5 Leap
Fast forward a few years. The conversation shifted from the original PS4 launch to how the game would handle the next generation. We didn't get a "native" PS5 version immediately. Instead, we got a performance patch in May 2021. It was a free update. It gave us 60 FPS, which, let’s be real, is how the game was always meant to be played. The difference in fluidity during those intense combat encounters with the Seraphites was night and day.
But then, the rumors started. Again.
In early 2024, specifically January 19, Sony released The Last of Us Part II Remastered for the PlayStation 5. This wasn't just a frame rate bump. It added the "No Return" roguelike mode and the "Lost Levels," which gave us a peek behind the curtain at content that was cut during that original, messy development cycle.
- Original PS4 Launch: June 19, 2020
- PS5 Performance Patch: May 19, 2021
- Remastered PS5 Release: January 19, 2024
If you look at those dates, there's a pattern. Sony likes the "early year" or "mid-year" windows for this franchise. They stay away from the crowded October/November corridor where Call of Duty and Madden live.
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The PC Port: The Elephant in the Room
Now, if you're a PC player, you're probably annoyed. We’ve seen The Last of Us Part I (the remake) hit Steam. We’ve seen Ghost of Tsushima and God of War make the jump. But as of right now, the release date Last of Us Part 2 for PC remains a phantom.
Industry insiders like Billbil-kun and others who usually have the inside track on Sony’s PC ports have been surprisingly quiet, though rumors suggest the port has been "ready" for some time. Why the hold-up? It’s likely tied to HBO.
The first game’s PC release was timed to coincide with the hype of the HBO series. It makes sense for Sony to hold the Part 2 PC port until Season 2 of the show is about to drop. We’re looking at a 2025 window for that. It’s a marketing play. They want to capture the "non-gamers" who watch Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey and suddenly decide they need to experience the story themselves.
Wait.
Think about the technical overhead for a second. Part I on PC was a disaster at launch. It was buggy, it crashed, and it turned Joel into a weirdly sweaty mess of textures. Naughty Dog and Iron Galaxy (who handled the port) took a massive reputation hit. They won't want to repeat that with Part 2. Part 2 is a much more demanding game. The foliage, the rain physics in Seattle, the sheer density of the environments—it's a lot to optimize for varying PC hardware. They are taking their time because they have to.
Impact on the Gaming Industry
The way this game was released changed how Sony thinks about their roadmap. They learned that "indefinite" is a dangerous word. It creates panic. Since then, Sony has been much tighter with their announcements. They don’t announce dates until they are 95% sure they can hit them. Look at Spider-Man 2 or God of War Ragnarok. Those cycles were much cleaner.
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The release date Last of Us Part 2 became a case study in crisis management. From the leaks to the shipping delays, it was a miracle the game launched at all in mid-2020. And despite the drama, it sold over 4 million copies in its first weekend. People wanted it. They needed that distraction during the height of the lockdowns.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you're trying to keep track of where the franchise goes next, or if you're waiting for the next "version" of the game, here is what you actually need to do:
Check your version. If you own the PS4 disc or digital version, don't buy the Remastered version at full price. You can upgrade for $10. It’s one of the few "pro-consumer" moves Sony has kept in place. The upgrade gives you the native 4K support and the No Return mode.
Watch the HBO production schedule. If you want to guess the PC release date, don't look at gaming blogs. Look at "Variety" or "The Hollywood Reporter." When Season 2 of The Last of Us gets a firm premiere date, you can bet your life the PC port of the game will be announced for a window within 30 days of that premiere.
Ignore the "Part 3" fake leaks. Every few months, a "leaked" release date for Part 3 or a new DLC starts circulating on Reddit. Ignore them. Naughty Dog is currently working on a new IP. While Neil Druckmann has confirmed a "concept" for Part 3 exists, the studio is nowhere near a release date. We are years away.
Optimize your PS5 settings. If you are playing the Remastered version, make sure you go into the settings and toggle "Unlocked Framerate" if you have a VRR-supported TV. The game can actually push past 60 FPS in certain areas, making the animations of Ellie and Abby feel even more visceral.
The history of this game's launch is a reminder that even the biggest companies in the world are vulnerable to circumstance. It wasn't a "perfect" release. Far from it. But the fact that it remains a top-tier graphical benchmark four years later says everything about the work that went into it during those delayed months.
Keep an eye on the 2025 calendar. That's when the next chapter of this release cycle—the PC transition—finally completes the journey that started back in that chaotic June of 2020.