The Last of Us: Part II is launching for PlayStation 4 on February 21. Sony Interactive Entertainment announced The Last of Us: Part II release date as part of its State of Play video event today.
The Last of Us: Part II follows the continuing adventures and torments of Ellie, one of the heroes from the previous game. From what developer Naughty Dog has shown so far, this sequel portrays a world that is still grim and violent.
This is also likely Naughty Dog’s final original PlayStation 4 release. The studio previously released some remasters of older games as well as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. But now it is getting a chance to help close out the PS4 as Sony prepares its transition to the next PlayStation console.
The jump to next-gen is also likely one of the reasons that Sony and Naughty Dog are pushing the game out in late winter. Sony’s fiscal year ends March 31, and a massive blockbuster in February can give a huge boost to the company’s annual earnings report — especially if the PlayStation 5 launches in fall 2020 and provides a boost of its own.
Sony also really likes pushing out big-name games earlier in the calendar. God of War launched in April 2018, and it finished as the No. 8 best-selling game that year, according to The NPD Group.