The Last of Us Part 2 delayed by 3 months to May 2020

Sony has delayed The Last of Us Part 2’s release date by three months to May 29.

In late September, Sony announced that The Last of Us Part 2 would release on February 21, 2020, but in an update confirming an earlier report on Thursday, developer Naughty Dog announced the game’s launch has been delayed until late May.

Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann said the delay would enable the studio to polish the game to a level that meets its own high standards while also “reducing stress on the team”.

Update, April 27: Sony has announced new release dates for The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima.

Original story continues: Druckmann wrote on the PlayStation Blog: “It was just about a month ago when we had our big blowout for the game, letting media play over two hours of it along with debuting our new story trailer and revealing the release date. The positive response we saw from our community was overwhelming. You can feel the energy among the team members. After working on something for so many years, it’s invigorating to get a glimpse of validation for all the hard work.

“However, it was during the last few weeks, as we were closing out sections of the game, that we realised we simply didn’t have enough time to bring the entire game up to a level of polish we would call Naughty Dog quality. At this point we were faced with two options: compromise parts of the game or get more time. We went with the latter, and this new release date allows us to finish everything to our level of satisfaction while also reducing stress on the team.

“While we’re relieved that we won’t have to compromise our vision, we’re disappointed that we weren’t able to avoid this exact situation. We wish we could’ve foreseen the amount of polish we needed, but the size and scope of this game got the better of us. We hate disappointing our fans and for that we’re sorry.

“We hope you understand that this additional time ensures that The Last of Us Part II lives up to our collective ambition as well as our commitment to the highest level of quality. We know the extra few months will add to what may already be an excruciating wait for all of us. We are grateful for your patience and continued support. Come next May, you will finally rejoin Ellie in The Last of Us Part II.”

In September, Sony announced three The Last of Us Part 2 special editions, including one $249.99 bundle which includes a backpack and a bracelet.

Naughty Dog also confirmed The Last of Us 2 won’t feature a multiplayer mode, despite earlier suggestions it would.

On Thursday, Ubisoft also delayed the releases of Watch Dogs Legion, Gods & Monsters and Rainbow Six Quarantine, from its current fiscal year to its next one beginning on April 1, 2020.