Rumor has it that the unofficially confirmed remake ofThe Last of Usis due to launch at some point in 2022. When the news of its existence broke last year, reception was mixed: one side was skeptical of a remake for a game that came out in 2013 that’s still easily playable on modern Sony consoles, while the other side met the news with open arms, welcoming in any and allThe Last of Uscontent.
If it’s true that the remake is launching later this year, it seems like an odd move for Sony, especially given the reaction to the leaked news.The Last of Usas a franchise is one of gaming’s most beloved, particularly the first game, but the company might be oversaturating players withnewLast of Uscontentif the rumored roadmap for 2022 is to be believed.
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The Last of Us in 2022
There’s not a lot of concrete information that’s been officially confirmed by Sony about what’s in store forThe Last of Usin 2022, but plenty of industry insiders have shared information aboutThe Last of Usremake as well as future content forThe Last of Us 2. Although all industry insider information presented with anonymous sources should be taken with a grain of salt, most tell similar stories regarding the future of the franchise: a standaloneFactionsgame is coming alongside a PS5 version of the sequel, potentially calledThe Last of Us Part 2: Director’s Cut,andThe Last of Usremake is nearly finished. The current rumor being shared by insiders is thatall three pieces ofLast of Uscontentshould be expected in the second half of 2022.
Alongside the rumored games, HBO is currently filminga TV series based off of the firstLast of Usgamewhich is scheduled to wrap filming in June which, given the typical production times for TV series, could mean that the show might air sometime toward the end of the year. If all of this is happening within the next 12 months, then the year is going to be oversaturated withLast of Uscontent.
Because of the ties they have to 2020’sThe Last of Us 2, it makes sense forFactionsand theDirector’s Cutto release this year, and there’s enough separation between mediums for the HBO series to air in 2022 as well without feeling like it’s taking up too much space in the gaming world. That said, having an additional game release might be cramming too much into too little space. The release of the remake in 2022 might be happening so the game can capitalize on the hype caused by the show’s release, meaning that the two would need to release at roughly the same time. Still, if theLast of Us 2content launches soon, then all three games would be crowding the same space.
Obviously, moreLast of Usis a good thing given the series' high bar for quality, but Sony could be oversaturating the gaming space with the franchise if all of that were to release at the same time. What’s more,public opinion onThe Last of Usremakeisn’t particularly high, so Sony needs to think carefully about how it wants to present the game in order to win back fans who are skeptical of its relevance. With everything currently announced to be coming out of the company in 2022, Sony has already set itself up for a packed year of releases, so having three new pieces ofLast of Uscontent might be too much for an already stacked year of PS4 and PS5 titles.
The Last of Usremake is rumored to be in development.
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