Sony delays the launch of The Last of Us Part II

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that it has decided to delay the launch of the highly anticipated PS4 sequel The Last of Us Part II, blaming logistics surrounding the global novel coronavirus pandemic. The game was due to launch on 29 May but is now delayed “until further notice”.

In a tweet the company also confirmed the delay of Iron Man VR:

Update: SIE has made the difficult decision to delay the launch of The Last of Us Part II and Marvel’s Iron Man VR until further notice. Logistically, the global crisis is preventing us from providing the launch experience our players deserve.

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 2, 2020

In a separate later tweet, The Last of Us Part II’s developer Naughty Dog said it was “in the midst of fixing final bugs”, the decision was made because “due to logistics beyond our control, we couldn’t launch The Last of Us Part II to our satisfaction … This meant delaying the game until such a time where we can solve these logistics issues.”

It appears that it was Sony’s decision, and some of the online gaming community are suggesting it’s because the title would have made less money if it launched during the Covid-19 crisis.

A message from us about the delay of The Last of Us Part II: pic.twitter.com/aGsSRfmJ8a

— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 2, 2020

Another explanation could be that with global shipping affected, the companies were worried that those who wanted to buy a physical copy rather than a download would have missed out if supply or shipping was affected. Naughty Dog said “We want to make sure everyone gets to play The Last of Us Part II around the same time”, backing this up.

Such a AAA game as this will attract a big first-day play, and it seems Sony and Naughty Dog wanted to make sure the experience isn’t ruined for some by getting the game late. But the sceptics might put it down to a potential loss in revenue. In our eyes, both explanations are probably true.