The Last of Us Part II Delayed Indefinitely

The Last of Us Part II was delayed indefinitely Thursday because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, marking the first major game release affected by the fallout from the disease's spread. The game had previously been scheduled for release May 29.

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the delay alongside another for Marvel's Iron Man VR.

"Logistically, the global crisis is preventing us from providing the launch experience our players deserve," Sony wrote on Twitter.

Naughty Dog's subsequent statement described the game as "nearly done with development," saying it was in the final stages of bug fixing.

The Last of Us Part II Delayed Indefinitely

"However, even with us finishing the game, we were faced with the reality that due to logistics beyond our control, we couldn't launch The Last of Us Part II to our satisfaction," the developer wrote. "We want to make sure everyone gets to play The Last of Us Part II around the same time, ensuring that we're doing everything possible to preserve the beset experience for everyone. This meant delaying the game until such a time where we can solve these logistic issues."

This is the second delay to affect The Last of Us Part II, which was originally slated for release in February. That delay exacerbated a culture of crunch revealed in a Kotaku report published in early March.

Naughty Dog staff are currently working from home in keeping to self-isolating guidelines in California, where the studio is based. Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier reported Thursday the move to remote work had not affected crunch.