The Last of Us: Part 2 may be getting a canine companion to accompany players on their journey, based on evidence from a tweet by the game’s writer/director.
Dogs have long been a staple companion in all manner of post-apocalyptic stories. Thanks to a recent tweet, it seems that The Last of Us: Part 2 may have a canine companion joining the likes of Fallout 4’s Dogmeat – just in time for the Year of the Dog, no less.
The first Last of Us game focused on the relationship between Joel and Ellie as they ventured through the decrepit remains of civilization. While the first trailer for Part 2 hinted at the two of them returning in the sequel, a follow-up left many fans wondering if new leads would be present instead.
Regardless, a recent tweet by Neil Druckmann suggests that dogs will play a factor in the game somehow. Showing the writer/director of The Last of Us: Part 2 posing next to a dog decked out in motion capture gear, the tweet simply reads “#YearOfTheDog” in honor of the Lunar New Year celebration.
Of course, this has sent fans into an excited fervor, with most assuming the dog will accompany the heroes of the game on their journey. Cue an outpouring of tweets praying that the dog doesn’t die.
However, nothing has been set in stone yet, so it’s entirely possible that this just means dogs will factor into the game in some other way. Perhaps wild dogs will run rampant as enemies? Maybe the mutated Cordyceps fungus from the first game has found a way to infect canines? There are a lot of possibilities, and not all of them require players to get emotionally attached to man’s best friend for hours, only to lose them in some tear-jerking fashion.
The only other detail that’s known at this point is that it appears Naughty Dog sought outside talent on this one. Within the credits of the first Last of Us, one can find Pogo and Trumpet – Naughty Dog’s credited “Company mascots, morale boosters, and food patrol.” Since Druckmann’s tweet shows a new, much larger dog, it’s evident that these two were deemed too small and adorable to be suitable companions in the brutal world of The Last of Us: Part 2.
The Last of Us: Part 2 is currently in development for the PlayStation 4.
