Summary

  • The Last of Us Part 2 director Neil Druckmann revealed that a young fan leaked footage from the game to expedite its release, leading to mixed reactions from fans.
  • Despite the leak and the controversy it caused, the game was highly acclaimed upon its official launch, earning praise and support from critics and many fans.
  • Game developers are often disheartened by leaks, as they can spoil major plot points and character reveals, impacting player enjoyment and commercial success.

In a recent documentary, The Last of Us Part 2 director Neil Druckmann revealed that a young fan of the franchise was responsible for notoriously leaking footage from the game, in the hope that it would expedite the sequel's release. While the massive Last of Us Part 2 leak resulted in some players forming an opinion on the game before even experiencing it, the title went on to earn praise and support upon its official launch, though the game's director was disheartened by the unplanned reveal of its story.

Released in 2020, The Last of Us Part 2 smashed records for Game of the Year nominations and awards, highlighting the popularity of the series and the quality of the game. However, a massive leak prior to the game's launch threatened to ruin the game's release, and Neil Druckmann has finally shared more details about the incident.

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The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered Gets New Update

Naughty Dog launches update 1.1.0 for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered which adds new content, improvements, bug fixes, and more.

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First reported by ComicBook, during a segment in The Last of Us Part 2 documentary Grounded 2, Neil Druckmann speaks about the 2020 leaks that almost ruined the game's launch. According to Druckmann, the leaks were infuriating, and he was distraught to the extent of wanting the leaker to be severely punished. However, Druckmann found out that the leaker was a Dutch fan in their 20s who hacked into the company's servers to leak the footage in the hope that it would push the studio to release the title as quickly as possible. Druckmann chose to leave his frustrations over the leak behind and focus on the completion of the game's development. The result of Druckmann's redirected focus was a massively successful sequel that performed incredibly well, in spite of the initial fan response to the leak.

Leaks Continue to Plague the Gaming Industry

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Development teams often spend years creating unique stories, compelling characters, and memorable experiences, and naturally they want fans to be surprised by all that a game has to offer. When content is leaked early, fans may be spoiled on major plot points, twists, or character reveals, potentially ruining the player enjoyment and commercial success of a release. The massive Insomniac game leaks from 2023 were detrimental to the morale of developers, and the Grand Theft Auto 6 leak forced the studio to release an official trailer to an already spoiled audience. As developers continue to work on combatting and prevent leaks, many fans remain supportive of their favorite studios and voice their appreciation for developers affected by unofficial content reveals.

Though leaked content may occasionally help to boost fan excitement, this was far from the case with this game, and any spoilers often come at the cost of game developers being angered by leaks. As seen with The Last of Us Part 2, fans should await official announcements and launches before drawing conclusions about a game.

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The Last of Us Part 2
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10 /10
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Released
June 19, 2020
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur

Developer(s)
Naughty Dog
Publisher(s)
Sony
Franchise
The Last of Us
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure