The Last of Us remake developer responds to ‘hurtful’ leaks

The developer of hit game The Last of Us opens up about “disheartening, frustrating, and hurtful” leaks ahead of remake’s official reveal.

Naughty Dog, developer of smash-hit zombie melodrama The Last of Us, has released a 10-minute video feature outlining the changes for the upcoming re-release — but only after a series of leaks that developers have called “disheartening, frustrating, and hurtful.”

The Last of Us is a video game that follows protagonists Joel and Ellie as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungus that kills and reanimates people as zombies.

First released on the PlayStation 3 back in 2013, the game received a re-release for the PlayStation 4 in 2014 and a sequel in 2020.

A stand-alone The Last of Us multiplayer game concept is also in the works. Picture: Sony Interactive Entertainment

The leaks showcased a number of improvements to The Last of Us — graphical fidelity, for example, is quite high even for the PlayStation 5. In addition, some gameplay features from The Last of Us Part 2 have made their way into this remake, such as workbenches to upgrade your weapons.

However, upgraded movement abilities such as the dive and roll ability were absent from the leaks. The exclusion of this feature is puzzling — it was a welcome ability in the sequel, as it allowed the player extra freedom in navigating enemies and strongholds.

The Last of Us Part I’s remake for PS5 will feature a plethora of graphical and gameplay improvements. Picture: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Speaking out about the leaks, Arne Meyer, vice president of Naughty Dog, took to Twitter: “Leaks really suck. Esp [sic] when we’re right on the cusp of an asset drop. It’s disheartening and frustrating to teams who have put their hearts making awesome things for our fans.”

Naughty Dog and PlayStation produced a video showcasing the new features, such as Permadeath Mode and Speedrun Mode, coming to The Last of Us Part 1, as well as the superb accessibility features that came standard with The Last of Us Part 2.

One new feature sees the addition of scene narration for the entire game – one of the first games to ever do so.

Naughty Dog announced this remake in June 2022, but the reception was mixed. You can currently purchase the remastered version of The Last of Us on PlayStation 4 right now — but the remake will cost you an additional $125, and some fans are struggling to justify the cost, with many taking to social media and claiming it as nothing but a cash grab.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.