During Summer Games Fest, Naughty Dog and PlayStation gave updates on both The Last of Us game franchise and the TV series adaptation. The Last of Us Part II (See on Amazon) has sold more than 10 million copies globally as of this spring.
Naughty Dog kicked off the announcements with the news that instead of just a multiplayer mode, fans will be getting an entire standalone multiplayer game!
“We’re thrilled to share a piece of concept art from our upcoming multiplayer experience, which is an extremely ambitious undertaking,” said Rochelle Snyder, Sr. Manager Communications at Naughty Dog. “We’re growing our studio significantly to ensure we build this full-scale, standalone game, with its massive scope and immense world, in a way that fans have come to expect from The Last of Us and Naughty Dog.
“We aim to make our newest entry into multiplayer inviting to new players while still a thrilling challenge for more of our seasoned fans. There will be more news to come next year, and we cannot wait to introduce you to the team behind this new experience!”
Neil Druckmann, Co-President of Naughty Dog and co-creator, executive producer, writer, and director of HBO’s The Last of Us, released a new image from the forthcoming drama series featuring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
Druckmann was joined onstage by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, who voiced Ellie and Joel in the video games. Johnson and Baker announced that they would appear in HBO’s series playing characters different from those they voiced in the games.
Johnson and Baker join previously announced cast members Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Jeffrey Pierce, and Anna Torv.
The series’ story takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin serve as co-creators, executive producers, writers, and directors. Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam are executive producers.
Kantemir Balagov, Jasmila Žbanić, Ali Abbasi, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, and Liza Johnson are directors. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog produce.
Naughty Dog also announced a complete remake of the original PlayStation 3 game The Last of Us. The remake will be released on September 2, 2022, for the PlayStation 5, and it is in development for PC as well. “We’ve implemented modernized gameplay, improved controls, and expanded accessibility options in this single-player experience to allow even more individuals to enjoy the game,” said Snyder.
“Effects, exploration, and combat have all been enhanced. Leveraging the PS5’s powerful hardware, we also implemented 3D Audio*, haptics, and adaptive triggers. Both returning fans and new players alike will have the opportunity to experience both The Last of Us Part I and its prequel story, Left Behind, in a whole new way.”
For the rebuild, Neil Druckmann passed the directorial baton to Game Director Matthew Gallant and Creative Director Shaun Escayg to bring the project to life. Gallant worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and served as Lead Systems Designer on The Last of Us Part II.
Escayg started as Lead Cinematic Animator on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. He would later go on to become the Creative Director of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
Naughty Dog has partnered with PlayStation to develop multiple editions of the game, including a Standard Edition, a Digital Deluxe version, and The Firefly Edition.
The Digital Deluxe includes the following in-game items: Increased Crafting Speed Skill; Increased Healing Speed Skill; 9mm Reload Speed Increase Upgrade; Rifle Clip Capacity Increase Upgrade; Explosive Arrows; Gameplay Modifier; Dither Punk Filter; Speedrun Mode; and Six Weapon Skins: Black Gold 9mm Pistol, Silver Filigree 9mm Pistol, Rubber Tactical Shotgun, Sculpted Oak Shotgun, Arctic White Bow, and Carbon Black Bow.
The Firefly Edition includes the in-game early unlock bonuses featured in the Digital Deluxe Edition, as well as a SteelBook display case and American Dreams Comics #1 to #4 with new cover art for each comic.
If you pre-order any edition of The Last of Us Part I for PlayStation 5, you’ll receive the following in-game items: Bonus Supplements to upgrade your skillset and Bonus Weapon Parts to upgrade your arsenal.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.