The Last of Us Part 2 Set to Release This Year

The E3 2018 festivities have begun and Sony's showcase is just two more days away! The team behind PlayStation have already confirmed we're getting another look at the highly anticipated The Last of Us sequel but before their conference has even begun, the rumors have already begun to turn up once more. The latest in the hype mill alleges that fans of the series will be able to get their hands on it this year!

The latest leak comes from popular retailers EB Games and Harvey Norman as a new listing has popped up wi th a placeholder date stating "coming in 2018!"

It's likely we will finally get a set release date during Sony's reveal this week, as they've been amping up the excitement for the sequel for quite some time now. Given the controversies surrounding the previous reveals, we're excited to see what else they have in store.

Speaking of controversies, the trailer that was shown at last year's PSX drew a lot of concerned eyes regarding the violence. Firstly, the game is intended for adults and has never shied away from that. Additionally, the team has been very clear that the context is very important to the overall narrative - which is known for being more mature.

Jack Ryan, President of Sony Interactive Entertainment's European division made his thoughts known about the controversy via The Telegraph. Ryan had this to say about the initial backlash:

"The Last of Us obviously is a game made by adults to be played by adults. I should never prejudge this but it will probably be rated 18, I think it's fair to say. And there's that market for those people who like that sort of game. Adults who like that sort of game. And I think we cater for that, and at the other end of the spectrum there was Concrete Genie, which my eight-year-old decided was the game she would like to play very much.

I think a platform holder provides a platform and the people who make games, whether they're our own studios or third-party publishers, they bring the content to the platform. We provide the platform. We have to ensure the right content is played by the right people - of appropriate ages in particular. I thought The Last of Us Part 2 was a great way to end the show and I feel very good about it."

The trailer in question sure provided some wonderful questions concerning the upcoming sequel, further proving that the series is rich with story and ambitious in terms of a strong narrative. Regardless on the various opinions about the trailer, the game itself is one dripping with adult themes and the team has shown the gorgeous work done on the title so far.

The Last of Us Part 2 is predicted to launch 2018 for PlayStation 4 players.