Sony’s recent actions have strongly indicated the potential addition of a significant title to the PS Plus Extra subscription service: The Last of Us: Part II, one of the most-award video games of all time. The source? A recent promotional tile found on the PlayStation 5’s PlayStation Store, with several sources online supporting similar findings.
The promotional tile highlights three games: Horizon Forbidden West, which joined PS Plus Extra earlier this year ahead of the launch of The Burning Shores DLC; Hogwarts Legacy, which has been on trial on PS Plus Premium since June; and significantly, The Last of Us: Part II.
The latter, being absent from the service, presents a logical basis for speculation regarding its impending inclusion. The speculation is further substantiated by Sony’s recent pattern of using first-party titles to beef up its PS Plus Extra library.
Interestingly enough, this is all coming to light just the rumors of a remastered version of The Last of Us Part 2 for the PlayStation 5 and PC are floating around. The information from Mark Pajarillo, a Lead Outsource Artist at Naughty Dog, hints at the development of The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered, but the original source is no longer available at the time of writing.
However, it’s crucial to approach these developments with a degree of caution. For starters, the mentioned PS5 banner might allude to a potential 45-minute trial that’s exclusive only to PS Plus Premium or Deluxe subscribers. If accurate, this would temper expectations of a full-game release.
Besides, wouldn’t it make more sense for Sony NOT to add a game like The Last of Us Part 2 to either PS Plus Extra as a free game or to PS Plus Premium/Deluxe with a free trial if it’s going to be re-released? If anything, these rumors should be about The Last of Us Part 1. This way, the addition of The Last of Us Part 1 to either PS Plus tier would help hype the franchise, which could lead to the official announcement of a remaster of The Last of Us Part 2. So, if The Last of Us Part 2 joins the PS Plus Extra library, this all but confirms that a remaster isn’t happening.
And, since we’re on the topic of wishful thinking, what if this is all a precursor to the initial reveal of The Last of Us Part 3, which may or may not be in the works, depending on who you ask. Or, better yet, what if Naughty Dog will finally drop a positive update regarding its supposedly canceled The Last of Us multiplayer spin-off?
If we’re lucky, come October 11, Sony will put all the rumors to rest. If not, at least the earlier leaks gave us a glimpse of nearly half of the new games lineup of PS Plus Extra.
Beyond these speculations, there’s a glaring issue surrounding Sony’s subscription tiers, notably the revised pricing. The new price points have elicited concerns, especially in certain countries. While these tiers offer a broad array of features and benefits, their financial implications warrant close scrutiny by potential subscribers.
