Every year since The Last of Us debuted in 2013, September 26 has been dedicated to celebrating the game's community. Known as Outbreak Day, it's also the day the cordyceps fungus reached critical mass in the world of The Last of Us. Naughty Dog has spent the last seven years using this date to release news, exclusive items, content, and promotions. And this year is no different - except it is, since we've finally gotten The Last of Us 2 content we've been craving. Here's everything that's included in 2019's Outbreak Day.
Inside the Demo
This week marked the first time game journalists worldwide could enjoy a demo with The Last of Us 2, and today was the day all of their reactions were unleashed, including our The Last of Us 2 hands-on preview. Naughty Dog is releasing a behind-the-scenes video called The Last of Us Part II: Inside the Demo, which will feature new footage and offer more in-depth coverage of the story and gameplay available in the two playable demo levels. The video will premiere at 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET / 9 pm BST today, September 26, on the PlayStation YouTube channel and on various other social media platforms.
PS4 Themed Content
A new PS4 theme is now available to download, for free. The Last of Us Part II Grunge Theme offers new art, music, and animations from the upcoming title. In addition to the free theme, all The Last of Us 2 system themes and avatars will be 50% off through October 1.
A guide to getting Ellie cosplay right
Want to capture the essence of an older, more grizzled Ellie from The Last of Us 2? You'll need the cosplay guide. According to Naughty Dog, the community inspired the guide's creation: "Since announcing The Last of Us Part II nearly three years ago, we have been floored by the enthusiasm we’ve seen from the cosplay community. Week after week, fans from all over the world have shared photos of their meticulously crafted Ellie cosplay. As a small token of our appreciation and to help aspiring cosplayers, we’ve created an extensive cosplay guide that features high-resolution renders and insights about every aspect of Ellie’s character design--from her distinctive frayed work shirt to the style of her hair." You can download the official guide here.
New swag
An entire new collection of The Last of Us merch just dropped on the PlayStation Gear Store today, including Ellie and Joel graphic tees and a cool, all-black The Last of Us 2 hat. There's also a Firefly logo hat, and a game-specific logo tee.
All of the items that debuted for the Outbreak Day celebrations, plus any existing The Last of Us and the Last of Us 2 products on the PlayStation Gear Store, will be 20% off until September 29.
Limited edition Dark Horse collabs
Naughty Dog and comics legend Dark Horse have teamed up to create two limited edition The Last of Us 2 collectibles - a 12" Ellie statue showing her readying her bow, and the game's official art book. The statue is currently available for pre-order via Dark Horse Direct and will likely ship in summer 2020, while the art book will be available for pre-order on September 30 and will release on March 3, 2020.
Take pics, win posters
Since The Last of Us Remastered will join the free PS Plus games lineup in October, Naughty Dog is running a Photo Mode contest. Capture a gameplay photo and share it with the studio via this link for a chance to win three Outbreak Day posters signed by the development team.
Check out the entire Outbreak Day 2019 release info here.
