The Last of Us Part II delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic

The release of The Last of Us Part II has been delayed “until further notice” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The news was announced via Playstation’s Twitter account, describing it as a “difficult decision” due to the logistical issues caused by the global crisis. Naughty Dog then elaborated further, explaining that the game’s development was nearly over, but that its launch has been prevented by complications outside of their control.

A message from us about the delay of The Last of Us Part II: pic.twitter.com/aGsSRfmJ8a

— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 2, 2020

“However, even with us finishing the game,” said Naughty Dog, “we were faced with the reality that due to logistics beyond our control, we couldn’t launch The Last of Us Part 2 to our satisfaction. We want to make sure everyone gets to play…around the same time, ensuring that we’re doing everything possible to preserve the best experience for everyone. This meant delaying the game until such a time where we can solve these logistic issues.”

COVID-19 has caused a number of problems releasing physical copies of video games. Last week Capcom warned that the crisis could cause delays for physical copies of their recent Resident Evil 3 remake.

This marks the second delay for Naughty Dog’s hugely-anticipated title, which was originally planned to be released on February 21st this year, before being delayed to the 29th of May for additional development.