Neil Druckmann, director of The Last of Us Part II, appeared on the Official PlayStation Blogcast to discuss its delayed release. The game was originally meant to come out on May 29th, until PlayStation announced it will now be delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Druckmann expressed his frustration with the situation and his eagerness to get the game out there.
Due to factors beyond their control, The Last of Us Part II is facing yet another setback despite being at the “one-yard line.” Druckmann says the game has really come together and that the entire team is excited to finally release it to the world. He describes this feeling saying “…you can’t wait for this thing that you’ve been crafting and honing and sometimes dreaming about; you can’t wait to get it in people’s hands and then see their reactions.” Druckmann says they have a great game they’ve developed and are just as disappointed as the fans about this unavoidable delay. He describes the situation as the “the world conspiring against us” but assures fans they’re working on ways to get the game out.
When asked about a digital release, Druckmann replied “What is the internet infrastructure there to support it in all countries? This is a worldwide game that people in every country are waiting for, and we want to make sure we’re fair.” He says there is no new plan yet, but the priority is to make the game available to everyone upon release. He also discussed the idea of turning the press demo into one that could be downloaded by the public. It wouldn’t be practical at this point, as he explains the “massive amount of work” that would have to be done to do that, and he’d rather spend that time finishing the actual game.
Listen to the full interview on the PlayStation Soundcloud.