There’s been lots of controversy surrounding The Last of Us Part II for what feels like the better part of this year so far. From its delayed launch, to claims of false advertising, all the way to the game getting review bombed within 24 hours of being released. Combine that with what many are calling political agenda sprinkled into the games narrative; one that many who played the game did not welcome. All of this created a perfect storm of negativity and hate that just kept going and going until it spiraled into what Naughty Dog claims in threats and harassment directed at their employees. In an effort to take a stand against fan bullying, they shared a statement on Twitter condemning harassment toward their team and cast.
One can’t deny that some on social media have taken things a little far when it comes to displaying their disappointment with the sequel. Apart from that, most fans in their replies took issue with the segment of the statement where they proclaim to welcome “critical discussion.” Users were calling out Naughty Dog for sending out DMCA takedown notices to content that criticized the game. Others called attention to accusations of employee harassment within the Naughty Dog organization itself. Then there were those who deflected back to the fact that fans are simply disappointed by what they have received as a sequel, though none of that really justifies harassment and death threats.
It’s important for Naughty Dog to stand with its employees like they have, though this statement appears to have fanned the flames a little bit.