Austin Manchester Austin Manchester is an NYC-based journalist covering all things gaming for Polygon.
Naughty Dog just can’t quit remastering, remaking, and tinkering with The Last of Us. In a surprise free update announced Tuesday, the developer rolled out a Chronological mode for The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered.
Fans of the 2020 Game of the Year winner will remember its story was told in distinct, non-chronological sections. Players first controlled Ellie exploring Seattle on her quest for revenge. When Ellie and Abby first meet, the game starkly jumps back in time and switches perspectives. Players then follow Abby’s journey leading up to that fateful confrontation while learning more about her background and motivations, like her reasoning for wanting to kill Joel.
With the new Chronological mode, The Last of Us Part 2’s story can now be experienced in order, with players bouncing between Ellie’s and Abby’s sections, leading up to that climatic meeting. Naughty Dog “believe[s] players will gain even deeper insight into Part II’s narrative” via the Chronological mode, according to a PlayStation Blog post announcing the update. Naughty Dog editorial content manager Jonathon Dornbush notes that the initial structure was intentional and recommends new players experience the original version of Part 2 first before playing through the story chronologically.
New Uncharted 4-inspired skins for Tommy and Joel are included in the update as well. They’ll be unlocked after completing the Chronological story mode (which also includes new trophies for all the trophy hunters out there) and can be equipped in the roguelike No Return mode. The update also includes “additional bug fixes and performance improvements” for both the PlayStation 5 and Windows PC versions.
The Last of Us Part 2 launched in 2020 on PlayStation 4. It was remastered for PS5 in January 2024 before launching on PC this year. Naughty Dog re-released it again in 2025 as part of the Complete Collection alongside of The Last of Us Part 1, a 2022 remake of the original game.
When the developer isn’t revisiting The Last of Us, Naughty Dog is conceivably working on its next project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet (the studio loves nothing if not a mouthful of a title). Naughty Dog also has another game in the works, though little is known about it at this time.
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