The Last of Us 2 gets new June date as Ghost of Tsushima is delayed

Sony has announced new release dates for The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima.

Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2, which has previously been delayed twice, will now be released on June 19.

Meanwhile Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima has been delayed from June 26 to July 17.

Sony Interactive Entertainment head of Worldwide Studios Hermen Hulst confirmed the new release dates for the PS4 exclusives in a PlayStation Blog post on Monday.

“As our teams at Sony Interactive Entertainment and Worldwide Studios approach development milestones and confront a world changed by COVID-19, we find ourselves having to adapt to today’s ever-changing environment,” he said.

“Amidst some disruptions to our working styles, we wanted to provide an update to PlayStation gamers who are eager to learn when our next exclusive titles will arrive to PlayStation 4.

“As we begin to see an ease in the global distribution environment, I am pleased to confirm that The Last of Us Part II will arrive on June 19. And Ghost of Tsushima will follow on July 17.

“I want to personally congratulate and thank both the teams at Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions on their achievements, as we know it’s not an easy feat to reach the finish line under these circumstances. Both teams have worked hard to deliver world-class experiences, and we can’t wait to see what you think of them when they release in just a few short months.”

Like employees in many industries, in recent months game developers have faced the logistical challenges that have arisen from a switch to remote working.

The closure of ratings boards and shops has also contributed to logistical issues for the games industry, which has resulted in delays for several high-profile games such as, Wasteland 3 and Death Stranding PC.

So far Microsoft and Sony have claimed the climate will not disrupt their next-gen console launches planned for later this year, although one recent report suggested there could be a limited supply of PS5 stock.

The new Last of Us Part 2 release date comes as Sony battles to suppress major spoilers being published online.

Key story details leaked over the weekend via several gameplay videos showing new areas, cut-scenes and menus. The videos in question have been pulled from YouTube but are being actively circulated on social media sites.

It’s the second time this month that unauthorised videos of The Last of Us Part 2 have appeared online, following the game’s most recent delay.

On April 2, The Last of Us Part 2 release date was postponed indefinitely due to disruption caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (its release had previously been delayed from February to May 2020).

Ghost of Tsushima’s former June release date was announced in March. Revealed in October 2017, the open-world adventure game is set during the Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274.

Players take on the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai warrior whose adventure draws on Japanese history and the traditions of samurai cinema to craft what Sucker Punch calls “a gorgeous tale of revenge, empowerment, and hope”.

A patent application for a “cross-platform spoiler block service” conceived by PlayStation emerged this week, coinciding with the Last of Us Part 2 leak.