Naughty Dog has released a new Last of Us Part 2 trailer, but there’s no word on multiplayer or a PS5 update

Naughty Dog has released a new The Last of Us Part 2 trailer alongside a message to its fans.

The trailer, which arrives some six months after the flagship PS4 exclusive released, focuses on the journey of Abby, the title’s second playable protagonist, rather than Ellie, who starred in the first game and fronted the sequel’s original marketing campaign.

In a PlayStation Blog post accompanying the new trailer, Naughty Dog senior communications manager Scott Lowe said: “This story and its characters mean so much to the entire studio and to have it resonate with millions of people around the world and be recognized by industry and fan-voted awards over the last several weeks is beyond humbling.

“With the year winding down and new players picking up the game for the first time over the holidays, we’ve put together a new trailer that provides an expanded look at the story, and, for the first time, focuses on Abby’s emotional journey as it intersects and collides with Ellie’s.”

Lowe signed off by thanking the studio’s fans and wishing them a happy holiday, but he didn’t provide the parting gift many will have been hoping for as there was no new information on what the studio is working on.

While other first-party PS4 games including God of War, Ghost of Tsushima and Days Gone have received well publicised PS5 performance updates, Naughty Dog and publisher Sony have remained silent on the subject of next-gen enhancements for The Last of Us Part 2 (although some were added quietly).

The original Last of Us released at the tail end of the PS3 generation in June 2013 before a remastered version arrived for PS4 in July 2014, seven months into the newer console’s cycle. While nothing has been announced, it would be unsurprising were Naughty Dog to remaster Last of Us Part 2 for PS5 and perhaps launch it alongside the next multiplayer entry in the series.

The Last of Us Part 2 director and Naughty Dog vice president Neil Druckmann announced in September 2019 that the title wouldn’t include a multiplayer component as originally planned because the studio “wanted to take all of the resources to make this the biggest game we’ve ever done”.

However, in a follow-up statement, Naughty Dog pledged to release a new Last of Us multiplayer offering after its work on the sequel was complete.

“You will eventually experience the fruits of our team’s online ambition, but not as part of The Last of Us Part II,” it said. “When and where it will be realized is still to be determined. But rest assured, we are as big a fan as Factions as the rest of our community and are excited to share more when it’s ready.”

Footage of what appeared to be an updated version of the original game’s Factions multiplayer mode leaked earlier this year.

Following its release in June, The Last of Us Part 2 sales cleared four million copies worldwide in three days, making it the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive to date.

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