Kaitlyn Dever, the actress portraying Abby Anderson in the second season of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, required extra security during filming for her own protection.

This comes from fellow castmate Isabel Merced, who is playing Dina in the show. Speaking with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused, Merced discussed the strong emotions the series can spark within some that have resulted in volatile reactions from so-called fans.

When Horowitz said he was concerned about Dever, and the toxicity she will likely receive "through proxy of being Abby", Merced stated there are "so many strange people" who "genuinely hate" the character. This is despite her being completely fictional. And, because of this, Dever was required to have extra security during the filming for the second season.

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HBO Max has released The Last of Us Season 2 teaser trailer, setting the stage for what’s coming in 2025. The clip is only 24 seconds long, but those who’ve played The Last of Us Part II will note that it packs a lot, starting with a memorable scene of Ellie in Jackson. There’s also a glimpse of Abby that you’ll miss if you blink.

What we’ve learned from The Last of Us Season 2 trailer

The teaser can be viewed below. This article may contain spoilers so proceed beyond the teaser at your own risk.

In the teaser above, Joel claims that he saved Ellie, which forms the basis of the events that unfolded in the second video game. In TLOU 2, Ellie’s relationship with Joel becomes strained when she realizes that he lied to her about the events that took place in the hospital.

The bloodbath at the hospital is also why Abby comes into the picture. She is seeking revenge for her father’s murder, and, well… players know the rest.

It remains to be seen how the show tackles the entirety of TLOU 2 — including that controversial Joel and Abby scene — as it is a pretty narrative-heavy game.

The post HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 Teaser Flashes Memorable Game Scene appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

HBO has released its first teaser for the second season of The Last of Us.

The teaser is short, but gives us a look at some returning and new faces coming to the second season. New faces include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Catherine O'Hara's still to be named character (although previous rumours suggested her character will be called Gail).

You can check out the teaser below, towards the end of HBO's latest sizzle reel. It starts at around the 01:15 mark. After the trailer, I will be breaking down a few bits I noticed, so please be aware of spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 (the video game) below.

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Periphery Synthetic, by ShiftBackTick, is a glorious thing. It's an exploration game and a playable EP. Existing somewhere between MirrorMoon, Soundvoyager for GBA, and Outer Wilds, it casts you out across a series of different planetary surfaces and asks you to make your own sense of everything.

When I play the current demo, the screen draws an undulating alien terrain in little blocks of light. But I can play the game even when I close my eyes. Periphery Synthetic is made to be fully playable without seeing the screen. Players can use echolocation and "terrain sonification" to navigate its spaces, while using screen readers to move through menus. It's a wonderful thing to try out, sounds changing in pitch to tell me whether I'm ascending or descending, whether I'm turning back on myself or headed somewhere new.

I found out about Periphery Synthetic in this year's Access-Ability Summer Showcase, which is created and hosted by accessibility consultant and author Laura Kate Dale. Like last year's show, it brings together a bunch of games that have brilliant accessibility options, and is itself available in ASL, BSL and audio-described versions.

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The Last of Us Part II will follow its predecessor onto PC, according to a new report - but despite development on the PC port supposedly being completed months ago, we might be waiting until 2025 for a release date.

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Sony has scrubbed an interview with Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann from its website after finding "several significant errors and inaccuracies".

Last week Druckmann took part in an interview with Sony as part of the company's corporate strategy meeting, and at the time, Druckmann was reported to have said that Naughty Dog's next title could "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming", and that "AI is really going to revolutionise how content is being created".

Soon after it was published, however, Druckmann took to social media to state that what he said had been lost in translation. Or, to quote Druckmann, his "words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost".

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UPDATE 28/5/24: A photo showing Jeffrey Wright on the set of The Last of Us has started making the rounds online.

Wright was announced to be reprising his role as Isaac - whom he also played in The Last of Us Part 2 - for the show's second season at the end of last week. The photo appears to suggest that we will be getting more of Isaac's backstory told when season two airs next year.

You can see the photo below, if you want to see a clue to how the show is (perhaps) developing Isaac's story, however please be aware of potential spoilers.

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Update Saturday 25th May 2024: Naughty Dog co-studio head, Neil Druckmann, has pushed back on claims he said Naughty Dog's next project "could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming", saying his "words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost" in an interview with Sony.

In an image appended to his message, Druckmann highlighted the eyebrow-raising phrase, "[Naughty Dog's next game] could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming", and then appended his original response to the interview question "is there a personal vision or dream you hope to see realised in the realm of entertainment", which I've written out in full below:

"Well, I've been very lucky, in that I've already had that. I got the chance to make several of my dream projects. I am working on a new one right now. And it's maybe the most excited I've been for a project yet. I can't talk about it or our bosses will get very mad at me. And I guess in general, there is something happening now that I think is very cool. Which is there's a new appreciation for gaming that I've never seen before. Like when I was growing up, gaming was more of a kid's thing. Now it's clearly for everyone. But it's like, if you're a gamer, you know about the potential of games, and non-gamers, they don't really know what they're missing out on.

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Four new cast members have been announced for The Last of Us Season 2.

As reported by Variety, Danny Ramirez, Tati Gabrielle, Ariela Barer and Spencer Lord have all joined HBO's adaptation. Those who have played The Last of Us Part 2 will recognise their characters as members of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF).

Ramirez, whose previous acting credits include Top Gun: Maverick and Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, will play Manny. The show's description states Manny is "a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most". Barer, meanwhile, will play Mel, described as "a young doctor whose commitment to saving lives is challenged by the realities of war and tribalism".

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Neil Druckmann, the co-president of Naughty Dog and creative director of The Last of Us, is tired. From the sound of it, he might be looking to change his career up so he doesn’t have to deal with the stress of leading a AAA team that puts out games on the scale of Sony’s flagship studio.

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