After first being revealed all the way back in 2016, Naughty Dog today announced that it has wrapped up its initial work on The Last of Us Part II.
Announced via social media by Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, the writer and director of The Last of Us Part II, it was unveiled that the game has now officially gone gold. If you're somehow unfamiliar with this term, it essentially means that TLOU2 is now ready to begin printing to discs and can then start being shipped out to retailers around the world.
In his message announcing this new milestone, Druckmann acknowledged that it's a strange way to finally finish up the project due to current events. With so many members of the development team quarantining at home, it has prevented the staff from celebrating together at the studio like they normally would upon finishing a game like this. "I just want to take this moment to congratulate the team that has pulled off the most ambitious game we've ever made," Druckmann said in his video message.
View this post on InstagramOur own @druckmann has some exciting news to share about The Last of Us Part II...
Druckmann went on to talk about what makes this Naughty Dog's most ambitious game ever stating that everything from the soundtrack to the level design and game mechanics are on a whole different level compared to the studio's past work. He also said that he just finished yet another full playthrough of the game recently and it still made him emotional.
Additionally, Druckmann acknowledged the recent leaks of The Last of Us Part II and assured fans that if they've somehow had certain plot points spoiled for them, it by no means will ruin the experience. "Nothing compares to playing this thing from the beginning to end. It's a video game - you gotta play it," Druckmann said simply. He then proceeded to thank fans for the kind words that have been sent the team's way over the past few weeks and wished everyone well.
The Last of Us Part II is slated to arrive next month on June 19, exclusively on PS4. Ahead of that time, you can currently pre-order the game on the PlayStation Store if you're interested.