'The Last Of Us Part 2' Receives New June Release Date Following Content Leak Online

Naughty Dog's hotly-anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive "The Last of Us Part 2" has a new release date following a series of alleged leaked images and video clips that hit the internet.

On Sunday, a massive amount of supposed content from an early version of "The Last of Us Part 2" hit social media, depicting a grisly ending for several protagonists and other bits and pieces of narrative beats that fans have taken to their feeds to opine on.

"As we begin to see an ease in the global distribution environment, I am pleased to confirm that 'The Last of Us Part 2' will arrive on June 19," read the official announcement lining out the game's upcoming release date.

A message from the developer posted to Twitter stated that the past few days had been "incredibly difficult."

"We feel the same," the statement read. "It's disappointing to see the release and sharing of pre-release footage from development. Do your best to avoid spoilers and we ask that you don't spoil it for others," the text urged. "'The Last of Us Part 2' will be in your hands soon. No matter what you see and hear, the final experience will be worth it."

Previously, Naughty Dog had announced a delay from the game's original Feb. 21, 2020 release date, deciding on a May debut for the title instead.

"Let me cut to the chase and get the news out of the way," game director Neil Druckmann had originally shared at the official Naughty Dog blog. "The Last of Us Part 2 has a new release date of May 29, 2020." That was back in October 2019. Earlier in April 2020, the game was pushed back further, and postponed for what seemed like an indefinite amount of time.

"We want to make sure everyone gets to play 'The Last of Us Part 2' around the same time, ensuring that we’re doing everything possible to preserve the best experience for everyone," read Naughty Dog's subsequent tweet April 2. "This meant delaying the game until such a time where we can solve these logistic issues."

Now, with much of the game having been released to the internet, it looks like Naughty Dog has been forced to speed up its release schedule with "The Last of Us Part 2" now set for debut this summer. There was no reasoning given for this change, but it certainly seems as though it might have everything to do with the unfortunate leaks as of late.