Sony has removed The Last of Us Part 2 from the PlayStation Store, following its indefinite delay last week.
In a statement on itssupport page, the platform holder confirmed it would be issuing refunds to customers who have pre-ordered the digital version of the game, with more information set to arrive via email.
Iron Man VR, another first-party title delayed indefinitely, has also been removed from thePlayStationStore and refunds issued.
The Last of Us Part 2’s release was postponed indefinitelydue to disruption caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, developerNaughty Dogclaimed that even though development on the game was almost complete, “logistical issues” caused by the pandemic meant it wouldn’t be able to verify “everyone gets to play [the game] around the same time.”
However, according to Last of Us Part 2’s creative directorPlayStation hasn’t made a final decision on a potential early digital releasefor the game.
Speaking in an interview with theOfficial PlaySation Blogcast, Naughty Dog’sNeil Druckmannsaid the developer was considering “all sorts of different options” for how to release the sequel “as soon as possible”.
However, the writer and designer suggested he wanted to avoida similar situation to FFVII Remakewhere “a small fraction of people” get the game early.
Asked if Naughty Dog could still release the game digitally in time for its original May release date, Druckmann replied:
“There hasn’t been a final decision yet. Right now we’re just reacting to… it’s a different retail chain, whether we could get physical copies to people, is the internet infrastructure there to support all countries…
“This is a worldwide game that people in every country are waiting for and we want to verify that we’re fair. If we just get [the game] to a small fraction of people, what does it do to all the people who don’t get it?
“We’re right now looking at all sorts of different options. What’s the best way to get it to all our fans as soon as possible? That’s going to take time for things to shift and to figure things out and also see where the world’s at: things are changing from day-to-day.”
Asked if Naughty Dog could appease fans with the release of a demo similar toone shown to presslast year, Druckmann said he’d rather focus on finishing the final game.
