Naughty Dog Renames Outbreak Day Due to Pandemic, Now Known as The Last of Us Day

Since Naughty Dog released The Last of Us seven years ago, the developer and fans have celebrated September 26th as Outbreak Day. This particular date recognizes the day in-universe when the cordyceps fungus changed the world of TLoU forever. However, given this year’s real-world events concerning COVID-19, Naughty Dog has decided to rename the celebratory date. Outbreak Day will from here on out be known as The Last of Us Day.

Naughty Dog’s post notes that in acknowledging the challenges of this year’s pandemic, it “didn’t feel right continuing on under the Outbreak Day banner.” However, regardless of the name, The Last of Us Day will carry on the tradition of celebrating the franchise and the community around it. And this Saturday, September 26th, will prove no different. This year’s The Last of Us Day should usher in “a lot of exciting things,” according to the studio’s message above. What that entails, of course, remains to be seen.

A quick look through the tweet’s replies shows that many a fan hopes to hear news about Factions, the franchise’s multiplayer mode that didn’t make the cut in TLoU Part II. Late last year, Naughty Dog confirmed the team’s “online ambition” with Factions would eventually see the light of day, though. We will know soon enough whether or not the studio is ready to share specifics, and if perhaps those specifics might include any PS5 announcements at all. The Last of Us Factions as a PS5 launch title would make for a huge addition to the next-gen release.

The Last of Us Part II is available now on the PlayStation 4. Just last month, Naughty Dog launched the Grounded Update, which added in Grounded and Permadeath modes, alongside new trophies and a post-credits surprise for players who manage to beat it on any of the new modes.

[Source: Naughty Dog on Twitter]