The Last of Us Part II Remastered Leak Reveals Release Date, New Modes

After years of rumors, hints, and speculation, it seems as if a confirmation The Last of Us Part II Remastered could be imminent, as fresh leaks include a bevy of a details, a trailer, and a release date for the game.

Insider Gaming has posted what looks to be a TV spot for the game, a 30-second ad featuring snippets of cinematics and gameplay, which reveals that The Last of Us Part II Remastered will launch for PlayStation 5 on January 19, 2024. At the moment, there’s no word on whether the game will follow in the footsteps of its prequel, The Last of Us Part I, and arrive on PC at some point after the initial release.

Separately, a retail listing has revealed that this new release is more than just an upscaled version of the 2020 PlayStation 4 game, with a host of new content being included. Beyond the expected graphical upgrades and DualSense functionality, the game will include a new roguelike mode, called No Return. This mode will challenge you to face a series of randomized encounters as various characters from the franchise, each of which will have unique gameplay traits.

While that’s the headline new feature, it’s not the only thing being added. The full list includes the promise of tantalizing insights into the development process:

• Lost Levels lets you explore early-development versions of three new levels not seen in the original.
• Enjoy hours of new developer commentary to hear insights into Part II’s development as you experience the game.
• Live up to your musical potential with Guitar Free Play, which includes new unlockable instruments, or take on the new Speedrun Mode* and post your best times.
• Descriptive Audio** and Speech to Vibrations have also been added to Part II’s suite of accessibility features.
• The Last of Us Part II Remastered also features brand new unlockable character and weapon skins for players to use for both Ellie and Abby.

These leaks come on the back of recent news that Naughty Dog laid off a number of contractors and paused development on the multiplayer spin-off of The Last of Us, though the latter piece of information was later refuted by the project’s director, Vinit Agarwal.