It feels like a lifetime ago. Honestly, looking back at the summer of 2020, the world was a mess, and the gaming community was specifically hyper-fixated on one thing: Ellie’s revenge. If you’re asking when did The Last of Us 2 come out, the short answer is June 19, 2020. But that date doesn't even begin to cover the drama, the leaks, and the sheer exhaustion of waiting for Naughty Dog to finally drop their most controversial masterpiece.
It was a Friday.
I remember the midnight digital launches. People were stuck in their houses because of the global pandemic, which, in a dark twist of irony, made playing a game about a fungal pandemic feel a little too on the nose. The game was originally supposed to land in February, then May, and then it just... disappeared for a bit. Sony eventually landed on June. It was a weird time to release a massive blockbuster, but somehow, it became the only thing anyone talked about for months.
The Timeline of a Very Messy Launch
We can’t talk about when the game released without talking about why it took so long. This wasn't a smooth ride. Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog basically went through development hell to get this thing out the door. Announced way back in 2016 at PlayStation Experience, the hype was immediate. But then came the silence. Years of it.
The original release date was set for February 21, 2020. We all thought we were ready. Then, out of nowhere, they pushed it to May 29. They said they needed more polish. Fine. We’ve heard that before. But then COVID-19 hit the fan. In April 2020, Sony indefinitely delayed the game because the logistics of shipping physical discs around a world in lockdown were a nightmare. For a few weeks, we didn't even know if it would come out in 2020 at all.
Then the leaks happened.
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Major plot points—including that scene with Joel—flooded the internet. It was a disaster. Naughty Dog was forced to move fast. Suddenly, the "indefinite" delay was over, and the June 19 date was set in stone. It was a defensive move as much as a logistical one. They had to get the game into players' hands before the entire story was spoiled by some random 4chan thread.
Why the June 19 Release Date Mattered
When The Last of Us Part II finally hit shelves (and digital libraries), it wasn't just another sequel. It was a cultural event. The timing meant that millions of people were stuck at home with nothing to do but dive into a 30-hour depression simulator.
The sales numbers were staggering. It sold over 4 million copies in its first three days. That made it the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive at the time, beating out God of War and Spider-Man. People were desperate for it, even the people who claimed they hated the leaks. There's a certain kind of intensity that comes with a Naughty Dog release that you just don't see with other studios.
It’s worth noting that the game arrived right at the tail end of the PS4’s lifecycle. The PS5 was only months away. This gave the game a weird dual-identity. It was the "swansong" for the PS4, pushing that hardware to its absolute breaking point. If you played it on a base PS4, your console probably sounded like a jet engine taking off. Mine certainly did.
The Remastered Jump to PS5
If you’re asking about the release date because you’re looking to play it now, things get a bit more complicated. While the original The Last of Us 2 came out in June 2020, Naughty Dog didn't stop there.
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On January 19, 2024, they released The Last of Us Part II Remastered for the PlayStation 5.
Was it necessary? That’s a whole other debate. The 2020 version already looked better than most games coming out in 2023. But the Remastered version brought a 4K output, faster loading times, and the "No Return" roguelike mode. It also added "Lost Levels," which gave us a glimpse into sequences that were cut from the original 2020 release. Seeing the "Boar Hunt" sequence in its unfinished state really puts into perspective how much work goes into these games.
Key Milestones in the Release Cycle
- Initial Announcement: December 2019 (PSX 2016)
- The Big Leak: April 2020
- The Official Launch: June 19, 2020
- The 60FPS PS5 Patch: May 19, 2021
- The Remastered Launch: January 19, 2024
The 60FPS patch in 2021 was actually a huge deal. It was free. For almost three years, that was the definitive way to play. It fixed the one major complaint people had about the technical performance: the 30FPS cap. Suddenly, the combat felt fluid. Dodging a Seraphite’s machete swing felt responsive in a way the 2020 launch version just didn't.
The HBO Effect and New Players
A lot of the current interest in the release date comes from fans of the HBO show. After the first season wrapped up, everyone wanted to know what happened next. If you're coming from the show, you're looking at a story that was written and finalized years before Pedro Pascal ever put on the flannel shirt.
The gap between the first game (2013) and when The Last of Us 2 came out (2020) was seven years. That’s a long time to wait for a sequel. It explains why the fans are so protective—and sometimes so aggressive—about the narrative choices. We lived with the "Ghost of Joel" for seven years before Naughty Dog gave us the reality.
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Technical Legacy of the 2020 Launch
Technically, what Naughty Dog achieved in June 2020 is still a benchmark. They used a proprietary engine that handled "motion matching," which is why Ellie’s movement looks so much more natural than almost any other character in gaming. When she squeezes through a tight gap or trips over a rock, it doesn't look like a canned animation. It looks reactive.
They also introduced an unprecedented suite of accessibility options. Over 60 settings. You could play the game if you were totally blind. You could play it with one hand. When the game came out, this was the real story for many in the industry. It set a new standard that other studios are still trying to catch up to. It wasn't just about "when" it came out, but "how" it came out—accessible to everyone from day one.
The Wait for Part III
Now that we are years past the launch, the conversation has shifted. We know when the second one arrived, but we have no clue about the third. Neil Druckmann has hinted that there’s a "concept" for a third chapter. But given the development cycle of the second game, we probably shouldn't hold our breath.
If we follow the seven-year gap logic, we’re looking at 2027. Maybe later, considering how much more complex game development has become.
The 2020 release remains a polarizing pillar in gaming history. Some people think it’s the greatest story ever told in the medium. Others have literally deleted it from their personal canon. Regardless of where you stand, the impact it had on the industry upon its release is undeniable. It forced games to grow up, for better or worse.
What You Should Do Now
If you haven't played it yet, or if you're coming back after a few years, don't just grab any copy.
- Check your hardware. If you have a PS5, do not buy the PS4 disc unless you’re getting it for under $10. The $10 upgrade fee for the Remastered version is the best value you’ll find.
- Avoid the spoilers. Even though the game has been out since 2020, the story works best if you don't know the specific beats of the final act. Stay off the subreddits.
- Tweak the settings. Go into the "No Return" mode if you want to experience the combat without the emotional weight of the story. It’s a great way to see how tight the mechanics actually are.
- Watch the Grounded II documentary. It was released recently and covers the development of the game. It explains the delays and the "why" behind that June 2020 date far better than any press release ever could.
The release of The Last of Us Part II was a lightning-rod moment. It was the end of an era for the PlayStation 4 and the beginning of a very long, very heated discussion about empathy in violence. Whether you love it or hate it, June 19, 2020, changed the trajectory of narrative gaming forever.