Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us Part 2 is sure to not be delayed for long, as it looks like the company is exploring options to release the game as soon as possible. Many fans were disheartened at the second, most recent delay of The Last of Us Part 2, which pushed the long-awaited title even further from release. The survival-adventure title is set to feature past protagonists portrayed in a new light, multiple years after the events of the first game, and the game's long development time has left thousands of fans speculating on the way The Last of Us Part 2's story will unravel.

While The Last Of Us Part 2 was in production for years, it wasn't until 2019 that players start getting a flood of information about the title. The game is expected to be Sony's book-end grand slam for the PlayStation 4, much like how The Last Of Us was one of the final large titles released for the PS3. Now, The Last Of Us Part 2 will most likely release by the fourth quarter of 2020.

Speaking with PlayStation Blog (thanks, VG247) Neil Druckmann, the head of Naughty Dog, spoke about the game's push. While the studio may be disheartened at the second delay, he says it wasn't as though they weren't expecting it, especially amidst the COVID-19 coronavirus panic that has swept the world. “A few weeks ago we saw the writing on the wall and even before it was mandated, we started moving to get people to work from home. Everyone at Naughty Dog is now working from home on the game,” he said, reiterating this was more of an impending announcement rather than a surprise to them. Naughty Dog is continuing work on the title, however, and Druckmann said they are actively fixing bugs in their "essentially complete" sequel. They are eager to ship it out, but must first find the best possible way to do so.

“It’s there, that’s the frustrating part for us. It’s like the game is there, and we have to sit on it for a little bit and figure out what’s the best way to get it to our fans.”

The initial reason for the second delay, beyond simply the stunted work schedule due to the coronavirus, was that it would be difficult to distribute physical copies of the game when most people will most likely be urged to stay at home. Along with that, the development and creation of the physical copies themselves has also been slowed due to the pandemic. Reality has hit the gaming industry multiple times in late 2019 and early 2020, with postponements plaguing many of the biggest titles. PlayStation fans are surely now wondering if Sony's other exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima, will see similar delays.

The delay of The Last Of Us Part 2 also has some fans wondering whether or not the game will become a PlayStation 5 launch title, similar to Sony's announced looter-slasher, Godfall. While this is unlikely, it could be that The Last Of Us Part 2 releases in close proximity to the PlayStation 5, and may even get a remastered version on the new console later in much the same way as it's predecessor. Hopefully, Naughty Dog will be able to get the game finished and delivered soon, while keeping everyone involved safe.