Last of Us Part 2 director ‘heartbroken’ by pre-release leak

The Last of Us Part 2 creative director Neil Druckmann says he’s “heartbroken” by a pre-release leak revealing key story details from the upcoming game.

Several unauthorised gameplay videos showing new areas, cut-scenes and menus were published over the weekend, much to the dismay of Druckmann and some of his colleagues at Naughty Dog, where he also serves as vice president.

“Heartbroken for the team,” Druckmann tweeted on Monday. “Heartbroken for our fans. We’re still incredibly excited to get the game into your hands.“

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced on Monday that, following two delays, The Last of Us Part 2 will be released on June 19.

While the leaked videos have been pulled from YouTube, they’re being actively circulated on social media sites, and both Naughty Dog and Sony have asked people to refrain from sharing spoilers before the game’s release.

In a statement issued to VGC, SIE said: “We’re disappointed that anyone would release unauthorized pre-launch footage of The Last of Us Part II, disrupt years of Naughty Dog’s hard work and ruin the experience for fans worldwide.

“We want everyone to have the opportunity to play The Last of Us Part II at the same time and ask that viewing or sharing of the unauthorized footage be avoided.”

A patent application for a “cross-platform spoiler block service” conceived by SIE emerged this week, coinciding with the Last of Us Part 2 leak.

As well as announcing a new release date for Naughty Dog’s game, Sony has delayed Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima from June 26 to July 17.