The Last of Us Outbreak Day Poster Features an Older Joel. Is He Back?

By Sam Quirke,

September 26th was Outbreak Day — a day on which Naughty Dog celebrate the Last of Us community by releasing some merchandise or screenshots. As part of that line-up (which you can still view on the official site, Naughty Dog released a new poster available at Mondo Tees. Is that... Joel?

The internet is collectively convinced that this is indeed Joel in his signature outfit, looking grizzled and bearded. We're all a little confused about the wolf, though. Does this mean Joel will be alive and well in The Last of Us Part II? It's obviously way too early to say, though the cynic in me thinks that all of the hints we've had lead to some sort of dream or hallucination of Joel rather than the man himself. The tame wolf at his heel doesn't help. Regardless, so far each time Naughty Dog has revealed or teased something from Part II, the next major PlayStation event has featured a new trailer. Here's hoping that PSX or Paris Games Week reveals something more.

Elsewhere, Gustavo Santaolalla has released the first theme for The Last of Us Part II, a reworking of the iconic theme from the first game. This is a moodier, darker, rougher cut of the tune, perhaps reflecting the tone of the next game.

You can hear the new track on Spotify here:

What do you think of the new version? With a stuttering tempo it's a little hard to love at first, but maybe it'll grow on us.

The The Last of Us Part II release date is still unknown.

We've got the full list of The Last of Us Part II trophies - check the list for guides to unlocking them.

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Written by Sam Quirke

Sam has been a Newshound since 2016 and is now the Editor for both TrueAchievements and TrueTrophies. He loves gaming on all devices and in all genres. He remains a stubborn Assassin's Creed and Pokémon fan.