One of the jewels in Sony’s crown is Naughty Dog, a studio known for perfectionism, obsessive attention to detail and forward-thinking gameplay design. Naughty Dog franchises like The last of us, Jak and Daxterand not mapped have made the studio an industry file and gamers always want to know what the developers are working on. While this eagerness benefits Naughty Dog as it builds hype for the upcoming games, it also encourages fans to hunt for leaks.
It may seem like Naughty Dog is careless with its information as it constantly faces leaks, with the latest affecting The last of us redo. However, if you look at the studio’s history, it becomes clear that the leaks come from so many sources that it would be impossible to predict them all. While the studio will probably do its best to tighten security to ensure the secrets remain secret until the time is right, Naughty Dog illustrates that sometimes this is an impossible task.
The Leaks of Uncharted
One of Naughty Dog’s most successful franchises is not mapped, which allows players to travel the world while hunting for the most valuable relics. The series has often been compared to: Tomb Raider, although thanks to Nathan Drake’s charisma, it has managed to develop an identity of its own. After the release of several titles, the series has become hugely popular and has always attracted a lot of eyes, making gamers constantly eager for the latest news.
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was subject to leaks leading up to its release. Some of the leaks resulted from retailers releasing their copies to customers early, and these gamers had their images and gameplay footage posted online. In response to this, although the game was originally set to launch in November 2011, the game was moved to October 28 in parts of Europe. However, the damage was done and the game was already plastered all over the internet.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was the last feature in the series, although it was followed by the spin-off, The Lost Legacy. It performed well on PS4, selling over 15 million copies. This has resulted in Sony extending the range of the not mapped franchise, although in the process, through an investor relations document, it accidentally opened a PC port of Uncharted 4 came. Since then, it has been officially announced that the game will make its way to PC via the Legacy of Thieves Collection in 2022, although it hasn’t received a release date yet.
The Early Reveal of The Last of Us Part 2
Perhaps the most controversial leak Naughty Dog suffered came with The last of us part 2. After the success of The last of us, anticipation was high for the sequel, and there were many ideas about where the studio would take the dramatic story. The game was originally scheduled to release in February 2020, but faced several delays, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the workflow of several studios worldwide. Unfortunately, the further the game was pushed back, the more opportunities there were for leaks.
In April 2020, the game suffered significant leaks including cutscenes, gameplay, and key plot details. Leaks are pretty devastating for most games, but it hit The last of us part 2 particularly difficult because it relied so heavily on the element of surprise. Many of the game’s jaw-dropping twists, including the death of one of the main characters and switching playable characters halfway through, were revealed early on. For some gamers, this made for some impact in these moments. Many of the revealed plot details turned out to be false, but enough of it was true to be a major spoiler.
Following the leak, Naughty Dog Co-Chairman Neil Druckmann tweeted that he was heartbroken for fans and the team, and Naughty Dog released a message warning fans to avoid spoilers and also telling them that regardless of any leaks, the eventual experience will would be worth. While it was initially suggested that the leak could have come from a disgruntled Naughty Dog employee, an investigation revealed that the perpetrators of the leak were outsiders with no ties to the studio or Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Naughty Dog Suffers Another Leak With The Last of Us Part 1
The first The last of us part 1 leak technically first appeared in April 2021, when gaming journalist Jason Schreier claimed a smaller Sony studio was trying to The last of us remake, but the project was eventually passed on to Naughty Dog. This news caused a stir in the gaming world, with many gamers wondering if a remake of The last of us is necessary, especially when it would be the third time the game has been released in less than a decade. While some gamers accused Naughty Dog of releasing money, others argued that a remake on current-gen hardware could breathe new life into the game.
A few hours before the game was officially announced, there was another leak, this time through the PlayStation Direct site where users could access the game’s announcement trailer. The game was officially confirmed at the 2022 Summer Game Fest, where Neil Druckmann revealed that the game would be a remake that would be rebuilt from scratch. He also told gamers a bit about the coming The last of us standalone multiplayer title and the television adaptation due next year.
The last of us part 1 getting closer to release, but Naughty Dog is subject to even more leaks. This time, the leak came in the form of a lengthy gameplay video that caused quite a stir. Some fans were disappointed with what they saw, as the video certainly confirmed it The last of us part 2 gameplay features like the ability to lie down wouldn’t make it The last of us part 1. As if responding to the leak, Naughty Dog soon released a video that took a deep dive into the upcoming game, explaining how it improves on the original. In addition to taking advantage of the DualSense controller features, the game will also feature enhanced AI, graphics, and audio.
For some gamers, leaks are helpful as they give gamers an idea of what to expect from upcoming titles so they can avoid potentially awful games before they waste money on them. However, other gamers see them as spoilers that don’t respect the developers’ hard work. Regardless of how gamers feel about leaks, it’s likely they’ll never be completely eliminated, and Naughty Dog will probably never completely shake off leaks.
The last of us part 1 is scheduled to release on September 2, 2022 on PS5. A PC port is under development.
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