Leaks. Leaks everywhere. If you’re interested in the details of this scandal, but haven’t read much in order to avoid spoilers, then you’ve come to the right place. This is a spoiler-free compilation of information from several different sites, including Forbes, Polygon, IGN, Screen Rant, and Twitter. There is also a timeline of events created by a member of the ASLC’s Game Committee, Parker Chojonowski, along with a few thoughts about leaks involving popular game franchises.

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic action game that came out in 2013. Since its release, its sales have passed 17 million copies and it has received many awards for outstanding story, character development, graphics, and sound design. Colin Moriarty of IGN praised TLOU, which “seamlessly intertwines satisfying, choice-based gameplay with a stellar narrative. It never slows down, it never lets up, and frankly, it never disappoints.” With similarly positive reviews from both critics and fans, it’s no wonder that the second installment is very highly anticipated. However, due to coronavirus restrictions, TLOU2’s release was delayed – though this was rumored to be a marketing decision, since the game was supposedly finished. Then, on April 26, in-game footage from cut scenes and dev menus were leaked online. Major plot points spread from YouTube to Reddit, but a lot of the information has since been taken down. The next day, Naughty Dog – the studio – addressed the issue on Twitter:

“It’s disappointing to see the release and sharing of pre-release footage from development. Do your best to avoid spoilers and we ask that you don’t spoil it for others…The Last of Us Part II will be in your hands soon. No matter what you see and hear, the final experience will be worth it.”

As the leaks spread, so did a rumor regarding the person responsible for the leaks. Users on Reddit claimed it was a disgruntled employee who leaked the footage. The rumor was backed by anecdotes on Twitter about the intense time crunch in the studio and the tedious work asked of the employees. There are a lot of minor details included in TLOU2, such as a heartbeat for each and every character. Other sources claim the leak was in retaliation after the studio furloughed staff and withheld bonuses on the game. Despite the juiciness of that version of the story, more information surfaced on May 1.

In an interview with Polygon, Sony – the parent company of Naughty Dog – confirmed they found the source of the leak but the culprits were affiliated with neither the studio nor Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). However, since it is an ongoing investigation, SIE could not reveal more information about the individuals during the interview.

A popular question in almost every article concerning this leak is how it happened. In explaining how the game was leaked, Screen Rant cites Twitter user PixelButts, who claims to have gotten the information from someone associated with a group of hackers who knew the group who leaked the data. This sounds like a game of Telephone but it seems to be the most reliable source so far. In a thread, PixelButts explains how hackers found the game’s Amazon Web Service (AWS) key and its bucket ID (both of which are unique to each game) somewhere inside the data for the original TLOU and in Uncharted 3 – another game by Naughty Dog. The hackers then saved 1-3 TB of data and “discovered the footage and gameplay saved in the patch on Amazon’s servers.” In simplified terms, Naughty Dog games have a key to access the developer’s server and the hackers exploited that in order to find game footage. Naughty Dog changed that feature shortly after the leak, but it was clearly too late.

Since the leak, the studio and its parent company have tried to keep fans engaged. A new release date was finally announced: June 19, 2020. Naughty Dog published a video on YouTube where Neil Druckmann, the game’s creative director, assures fans that TLOU2 has gone Gold – which means it is currently being pressed into discs and uploaded to the PlayStation Network. On May 6, a new official story trailer was released on YouTube as yet another effort to keep fans interested in TLOU2, despite the havoc the leaks and their rumors created.

There are a lot of mixed feelings regarding leaks and the intentions behind them. An article by Luke Winkie of IGN thoroughly discusses video game leaks and the problems they cause for both fans and developers. Regarding TLOU2, Winkie remarks on the difference between light-hearted leaks and ill-intended leaks. Since TLOU2 spoilers were added to Twitter names and posted in all-caps on Reddit communities, they fall under the latter category. Winkie concludes, “a wrongly uploaded cinematic is one thing, a malevolently repurposed bounty of stolen gameplay, deployed specifically to ruin others’ experiences is quite another.”

Parker Chojonowski, a third year ICT student involved in Film and Game Committee at the ASLC, adds onto this existing commentary about leaks and how they influence games.

“The recent leak of “The Last of Us 2” gameplay and story details reflects on a growing trend involving popular franchises. Fans with access to insider knowledge, materials, and footage who are dissatisfied with the franchise as a whole or with its latest iteration leak often out-of-context material with the primary purpose of inciting outrage and division among the rest of the fan base. As mentioned before, the material is often out-of-context or intentionally edited in an unflattering way. While sometimes criticism of the leaked material may be warranted, it also puts the creatives behind the franchise in a difficult position: either change their project to fit fans’ expectations, or leave it as is and hope enough people’s perspective of it remains untainted. Either way, it can irreparably harm their project’s sales. Also problematic is the issue of spoilers. In today’s information age it’s easier than ever to accidentally stumble across important plot details online. While this may not completely ruin a fan’s experience, it can definitely mar it.”

Timeline of the Leaks

April 2, 2020: The Last of Us 2 is indefinitely delayed due to COVID-19.

April 26, 2020: Gameplay footage, cut scenes, and assets are leaked online. Initially suspected to be from a disgruntled employee.

April 27, 2020: Sony announces a new release date (June 19, 2020) for The Last of Us 2, presumably in response to the leaks. 

May 1, 2020: Sony announces they have identified who the leakers are: they are not employees. Independent sources confirm this claim.

May 6, 2020: In an attempt to reassure fans, a new Story Trailer is released by Sony.

Starting around late June, sales figures for TLOU2 will begin to reflect the consequences – if any – of the leak. As promised, no part of this blog entry contains any spoilers for the game and neither do the sources linked, in case you would like to visit any of the cited articles for more information.

Written by: Isabella Massardi | Instagram

Art by: Kim Phan | Instagram