The Last of Us 2 teased for Sony's State of Play – but will we get a launch date?

(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

The Last of Us Part 2 is getting some kind of reveal in Sony's State of Play video-stream next week, according to a Twitter post by game developer Naughty Dog.

Showing off a solitary knife against a wispy black background, the image (below) hints at a sequel unafraid to keep exploring the gritty, violent side of a zombie outbreak drama – with a clear reference to Sony's State of Play session scheduled for September 24.

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We know that there won't be any news on the upcoming PS5 console, after Sony ruled out the next-generation hardware appearing.

The question remains, though – what is being shown? We already know the game is in development, and being released sometime in the coming year. While we originally hoped for a 2019 release, sometime in 2020 looks a lot more likely – especially after a possible slip by Ellie voice actor Ashley Johnson on a February launch date (more on that in our Last of Us 2 hub).

We'd be surprised at Naughty Dog bigging up the State of Play if there wasn't some meaningful information in it. We may just be getting a snippet of gameplay, or another cinematic trailer, but as 2019 drags on, finally dropping the release date – or a general window like "Spring 2020" – would be just the thing to keep the hype train going.

The Last of Us was one of the best games on PS3 – and is even better on PS4 – and we can't wait to see how they follow up on the gripping video-game drama.

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.