After Surprise Last Of Us Part 2 Update, I'm Convinced We Should All Be Watching Closely On September 26

While we wait for potential follow-ups to Naughty Dog's modern classic series The Last Of Us, each year, an annual celebration of the franchise comes and goes: also known as Outbreak Day. Typically, Naughty Dog and Sony save up notable announcements or merchandise for that day, releasing all the information to fans in one quick burst. But given that The Last Of Us Part 2 just got an update well before Outbreak Day, the studio might be gearing up for something bigger.

In case you missed it, The Last Of Us 2 can now be played in chronological order. While this iteration of the campaign may not make sense to newcomers, it serves as an additional way to play for veterans, allowing players to relive the game's events in the order they occurred. Surely, there's more in the pipeline for this series, though.

The Last Of Us Part 2's New Update Comes 2 Months Before TLOU Day

September 26 Is The In-Game Outbreak "Holiday"

Chronological mode, revealed ahead of Outbreak Day, is a brand-new way to play through The Last Of Us Part 2 campaign. As part of a new patch for this 2020-released game, the chronological mode announcement created a lot of new discussions, especially given that the second season of the TV show just ended. In case you aren't up with your Last Of Us lore, September 26, 2013 is the original date that the outbreak that impacted Joel and Ellie's world got out of control, and started to shape the game world as we know it.

Typically, Outbreak Day doesn't provide us with a lot of concrete information on the games. It's more of a general celebration of the series like Mass Effect's N7 Day, with merchandise drops and digital extras (like PlayStation themes). One notable exception was September 24, 2019, when Last Of Us Part II was dated: two days later, Naughty Dog hosted a press event.

Could This Mean There's More Content Planned For TLOU Part 2?

Why Shadow Drop This Update Now?

Curiously, Naughty Dog chose to shadow drop this patch and new major mode early, opting not to wait until Outbreak Day in September. It would have been a perfect opportunity to announce something Last Of Us related, but maybe the studio is opting to save a bigger announcement for September?

DLC opportunities have already been discussed at length, including potential side stories involving Tommy or Jesse in their search to find Dina and Ellie in Seattle. There's also a chance for a "Part 3," or even a spinoff completely out of left field, dealing with an east coast outfit that forges its own story and subseries. The sky is the limit when you're dealing with the apocalypse.

Either way, The Last Of Us will soldier on, even if there isn't a third iteration or any form of DLC in the works. The third season of the TV show is on the way, and the merch will flow. Hopefully, we'll get something more substantial with September 23 hits.