History of The Last of Us in Timeline
The Last of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic United States devastated by a Cordyceps fungus that turns humans into cannibalistic creatures. The story primarily revolves around Joel, a hardened smuggler haunted by the loss of his daughter at the beginning of the outbreak, and Ellie, a young girl immune to the infection. Their journey involves navigating dangerous environments and fighting both infected and hostile human factions. Later, Abby, a soldier with her own motivations, is introduced, further complicating the narrative through conflicts with a militia and a religious cult. The game blends stealth, action, and survival horror elements within a character-driven storyline.
March 1999: Bruce Straley Joins Naughty Dog
Bruce Straley, who later became the game director for The Last of Us, was employed at Naughty Dog in March 1999.
2004: Neil Druckmann Joins Naughty Dog
Neil Druckmann, who later became the creative director for The Last of Us, joined Naughty Dog in 2004.
October 2009: Preliminary Work on Project Thing Began
In October 2009, preliminary work on The Last of Us, under the codename "Project Thing" or "T1", began after the release of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
December 10, 2011: The Last of Us Announcement
On December 10, 2011, The Last of Us was officially announced at the Spike Video Game Awards, accompanied by the debut trailer, generating significant anticipation within the gaming community.
2011: Uncharted 3 Release
In 2011, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was released, developed by one of Naughty Dog's two teams, while the other team worked on The Last of Us.
May 7, 2013: The Last of Us Release Date Delayed
The Last of Us's original release date, May 7, 2013, was delayed to June 14, 2013, to allow for further polishing of the game.
June 14, 2013: The Last of Us Release
On June 14, 2013, The Last of Us was released for the PlayStation 3.
June 2013: The Last of Us Release
In June 2013, The Last of Us was released for the PlayStation 3, marking the beginning of the acclaimed video game series.
July 2013: The Last of Us: American Dreams Comic Book Published
From April to July 2013, The Last of Us: American Dreams, a four-issue comic book miniseries written by Neil Druckmann and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks, was published by Dark Horse Comics.
2013: Comic Book Release
In 2013, the franchise expanded into other media with the release of a comic book.
February 14, 2014: The Last of Us: Left Behind Release
On February 14, 2014, The Last of Us: Left Behind was released for the PlayStation 3. The expansion follows Ellie and Riley in an abandoned mall.
February 2014: The Last of Us: Left Behind Release
In February 2014, The Last of Us: Left Behind, a downloadable content expansion, was released. This expansion focuses on Ellie and her best friend Riley.
March 6, 2014: Film Adaptation Announcement
On March 6, 2014, Sony announced Screen Gems would distribute a film adaptation of The Last of Us, written by Neil Druckmann and produced by Sam Raimi.
July 2014: The Last of Us Remastered Release
In July 2014, The Last of Us Remastered was released for the PlayStation 4.
July 2014: The Last of Us Released on PlayStation 4
In July 2014, The Last of Us was released on PlayStation 4.
July 28, 2014: The Last of Us: One Night Live
On July 28, 2014, The Last of Us's cast performed a live reading of selected scenes in Santa Monica, California, with live music by Gustavo Santaolalla. The performance was hosted and directed by Druckmann, with graphics by Alex Hobbs.
2014: Live Show Release
In 2014, the franchise expanded into other media with the release of a live show.
January 2015: Second Draft of Film Script
By January 2015, Neil Druckmann had written the second draft of the film script and performed a read-through with some actors.
May 12, 2015: Stand-alone Expansion Pack Release
On May 12, 2015, Left Behind was released as a stand-alone expansion pack for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
April 2016: Film Enters Development Hell
In April 2016, Neil Druckmann stated the film adaptation of The Last of Us had entered development hell.
December 3, 2016: The Last of Us Part II Announced
The Last of Us Part II was officially announced on December 3, 2016, at the PlayStation Experience event.
August 2017: Naughty Dog Shifts Focus to The Last of Us Part II
In August 2017, Naughty Dog shifted its entire 350-person team to focus on the development of The Last of Us Part II after the release of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
April 2018: The Last of Us Sales Figures
By April 2018, The Last of Us and The Last of Us Remastered had sold a combined total of 17 million copies.
June 2018: The Last of Us Part II Multiplayer Mode Confirmed
In June 2018, it was confirmed that an online multiplayer mode was in development for The Last of Us Part II.
September 2019: The Last of Us Part II Omission of Multiplayer Campaign
In September 2019, developers announced that The Last of Us Part II would include a single-player campaign only, and Naughty Dog confirmed the omission of the online multiplayer campaign.
2019: Film Rights Relinquished
By 2019, the rights to the film adaptation of The Last of Us had been relinquished.
January 2020: Animated Short Film Cancellation
In January 2020, images surfaced of an animated short film adaptation of The Last of Us by Oddfellows, but it was canceled by Sony.
February 21, 2020: The Last of Us Part II Release Date Delayed
The Last of Us Part II's original release date, February 21, 2020, was delayed initially to May for further polishing and later to June 19 due to logistical problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2020: Television Adaptation Announced
In March 2020, a television adaptation of The Last of Us was announced to be in the planning stages at HBO.
June 2020: The Last of Us Part II Release
In June 2020, The Last of Us Part II was released for the PlayStation 4.
June 19, 2020: The Last of Us Part II Release
On June 19, 2020, The Last of Us Part II was released for the PlayStation 4, continuing the storyline four years after the original game.
September 2020: The Last of Us: The Board Game Announced
In September 2020, CMON announced it was developing The Last of Us: The Board Game, a tabletop game focusing on exploration, narrative, and survival elements.
November 2020: Television Adaptation Greenlit
In November 2020, the television adaptation of The Last of Us was formally greenlit at HBO.
2020: Awards for Performance in The Last of Us
In 2020, Laura Bailey won Best Performance at the Game Awards for her role as Abby in The Last of Us Part II against Ashley Johnson.
2020: The Game Awards 2020
The Last of Us Part II won the inaugural Innovation in Accessibility award at The Game Awards 2020.
April 2021: Initial Reports of The Last of Us Part I
In April 2021, Bloomberg News's Schreier first reported the existence of The Last of Us Part I.
April 2021: Outline for a Story after Part II
In April 2021, Druckmann and Gross wrote an outline for a story set after The Last of Us Part II, focused on Tommy.
July 2021: Filming of The Last of Us TV Series
Filming for the first season of The Last of Us TV series took place in Alberta, Canada, starting in July 2021.
December 2021: Haunted House Idea
In a meeting in December 2021, Druckmann broached the idea for a haunted house based on the game after fans tagged both HHN and Naughty Dog on Twitter.
June 2022: The Last of Us Standalone Multiplayer Game Confirmed
At Summer Game Fest in June 2022, Druckmann confirmed that The Last of Us would receive a standalone multiplayer release.
June 2022: The Last of Us Part II Sales Milestone
By June 2022, The Last of Us Part II had sold over ten million copies worldwide.
June 2022: Filming for The Last of Us TV Series Ended
Filming for the first season of The Last of Us TV series ended in Alberta, Canada, in June 2022.
September 2, 2022: The Last of Us Part I Release for PlayStation 5
On September 2, 2022, The Last of Us Part I, a remake of the original game, was released for the PlayStation 5.
September 2022: The Last of Us Part I Release on PlayStation 5
In September 2022, The Last of Us Part I, a remake of the first game, was released for the PlayStation 5.
November 2022: The Last of Us: Escape the Dark Announced
In November 2022, The Last of Us: Escape the Dark, a tabletop game produced by Naughty Dog and Themeborne, was announced. The game allows up to five players to explore locations and escape enemies.
December 2022: Franchise Sales Milestone
As of December 2022, The Last of Us franchise had sold more than 37 million copies.
January 15, 2023: The Last of Us TV Series Debut
On January 15, 2023, The Last of Us TV series debuted on HBO and HBO Max, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie.
January 2023: Franchise Sales Milestone
As of January 2023, The Last of Us franchise had sold over 37 million games, marking a significant sales milestone.
January 2023: Druckmann Teases More Story to Tell
In January 2023, Druckmann mentioned that "there's more story to tell" regarding a possible third main installment in The Last of Us series.
March 2023: The Last of Us Part I Release on Windows
In March 2023, The Last of Us Part I was released on Windows.
March 28, 2023: The Last of Us Part I Release for Windows
On March 28, 2023, The Last of Us Part I was released for Windows.
May 2023: Scaling Back of The Last of Us Online
In May 2023, production of The Last of Us Online was scaled back while Sony reassessed its direction, leading to many developers being moved to other projects.
2023: Short Story Incorporation into TV Adaptation
In 2023, Neil Druckmann said a short story about Ellie's mother, intended for an animated short film, was incorporated into the television adaptation after the short film fell apart.
2023: Haunted House Attraction
In 2023, to celebrate the first game's tenth anniversary, a haunted house was established at Universal Orlando from September 1 and Universal Studios Hollywood from September 7 as part of Halloween Horror Nights, ending October 31.
January 2024: The Last of Us Part II Remastered Release
In January 2024, The Last of Us Part II Remastered was released for the PlayStation 5.
January 2024: The Last of Us Part II Released on PlayStation 5
In January 2024, The Last of Us Part II was released on PlayStation 5.
August 2024: Filming for The Last of Us TV Series Renewed for Second Season
Filming for the second season of The Last of Us TV series took place in British Columbia, starting in February 2024 and ending in August 2024.
November 29, 2024: The Last of Us: Escape the Dark Release
On November 29, 2024, The Last of Us: Escape the Dark, produced by Naughty Dog and Themeborne, was released in the United States through Asmodee. This tabletop game allows up to five players to explore locations from the game.
2024: Tabletop Game
In 2024, the franchise expanded into other media with the release of a tabletop game by Themeborne.
January 2025: Physical Experience Announced
In January 2025, Neil Druckmann announced a physical experience allowing users to fight against the infected in Seattle during the events of Part II with virtual weapons, immersive video, audio, and scent technologies.
March 2025: Druckmann on the Future of The Last of Us
In March 2025, Druckmann cautioned not to "bet on there being more of Last of Us,", suggesting the television series "could be it".
April 9, 2025: The Last of Us TV Series Renewed for Third Season
On April 9, 2025, HBO renewed The Last of Us TV series for a third season ahead of the second season's premiere.
April 10, 2025: Digital Release of The Last of Us Complete
On April 10, 2025, The Last of Us Complete, a bundle featuring Part I and Part II Remastered, was released digitally.
April 2025: The Last of Us Part II Release on Windows
In April 2025, The Last of Us Part II was released on Windows.
April 2025: The Last of Us Part II Windows Release
In April 2025, The Last of Us Part II was released on Windows.
April 2025: The Last of Us TV Series Debut on HBO
The second season of The Last of Us TV series premiered on HBO in April 2025, starring Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby.
December 16, 2025: The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts Book Release
On December 16, 2025, Dark Horse Books published The Last of Us: Part I and Part II Scripts—a 618-page hardcover book featuring the scripts for The Last of Us, Left Behind, and Part II.
March 2026: Druckmann Hints at Future of The Last of Us
In March 2026, Druckmann hinted at "a few stops that remain on the road ahead", possibly indicating a sequel to The Last of Us.
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