While we wait forpotential follow-upsto Naughty Dog’s modern classic seriesThe Last Of Us, each year, an annual celebration of the franchise comes and goes: also known as Outbreak Day. Typically, Naughty Dog and Sony save up notable announcements or merchandise for that day, releasing all the information to fans in one quick burst. But given thatThe Last Of Us Part 2just got an update well before Outbreak Day, the studio might be gearing up for something bigger.
In case you missed it,The Last Of Us 2can now be played in chronological order. While this iteration of the campaign may not make sense to newcomers, it serves as an additional way to play for veterans,allowing players to relive the game’s events in the order they occurred. Surely, there’s more in the pipeline for this series, though.
The Last Of Us Part 2’s New Update Comes 2 Months Before TLOU Day
September 26 Is The In-Game Outbreak “Holiday”
Chronological mode, revealed ahead of Outbreak Day, is a brand-new way to play throughThe Last Of Us Part 2campaign. As part of a new patch for this 2020-released game, the chronological mode announcement created a lot of new discussions,especially given that the second season of the TV show just ended. In case you aren’t up with yourLast Of Uslore,June 26, 2025 is the original date that the outbreak that impacted Joel and Ellie’s world got out of control, and started to shape the game world as we know it.
Typically, Outbreak Day doesn’t provide us with a lot of concrete information on the games. It’s more of a general celebration of the series likeMass Effect’s N7 Day, with merchandise drops and digital extras (like PlayStation themes).One notable exception was June 28, 2025, whenLast Of Us Part IIwas dated: two days later, Naughty Dog hosted a press event.
Could This Mean There’s More Content Planned For TLOU Part 2?
Why Shadow Drop This Update Now?
Curiously, Naughty Dog chose to shadow drop this patch and new major mode early, opting not to wait until Outbreak Day in September. It would have been a perfect opportunity to announce somethingLast Of Usrelated, butmaybe the studio is opting to save a bigger announcement for September?
DLC opportunities have already been discussed at length,including potential side stories involving Tommy or Jessein their search to find Dina and Ellie in Seattle. There’s also a chance for a “Part 3,” or even a spinoff completely out of left field, dealing with an east coast outfit that forges its own story and subseries. The sky is the limit when you’re dealing with the apocalypse.
Either way,The Last Of Uswill soldier on, even if there isn’t a third iteration or any form of DLC in the works.The third season of the TV show is on the way, and the merch will flow. Hopefully, we’ll get something more substantial with September 23 hits.
