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The full episode, in writing.
Let’s start at the peak: June 19, 2020, the day The Last of Us Part II launched on PlayStation 4. Within hours, Metacritic’s user score for the game was in freefall, plummeting to 3.4 out of 10. Review bombs flooded in—hundreds, then thousands—despite the fact that the game’s main story takes upwards of 25 hours to finish. Some users posted negative reviews within hours of launch, too early for anyone to have meaningfully completed the game. This immediate backlash became one of the most visible, contentious fandom fights in modern gaming.
To understand how things got here, you have to go back to 2016, when Naughty Dog first announced The Last of Us Part II during PlayStation Experience. It was a sequel to one of the most beloved games of its generation, with Neil Druckmann returning as creative director, co-writing with Halley Gross. Fans spent years speculating about the story and characters. Production ramped up in 2017, with the entire Naughty Dog team—at least 350 people—committed to the project.
The series’ reputation for emotionally charged storytelling created sky-high expectations. But in late April 2020, just weeks before release, major plot details leaked online, including story cutscenes and gameplay footage. According to Neil Druckmann, the leaks were “heartbreaking” for both fans and the development team. The leaked material spread quickly on social media and gaming forums, sparking uproar and heated debate before the game was even out.
One of the most discussed points from the leaks was the fate of Joel, the first game’s lead character, played by Troy Baker. The leaks revealed that Joel would be brutally killed early in the story by Abby, a new character portrayed by Laura Bailey. This detail polarized the fandom instantly. Some fans accused Naughty Dog of disrespecting Joel’s legacy and of undermining the original game’s themes. Others argued that the narrative choice was bold and justified by the game’s themes of revenge and the cycle of violence.
When the game finally launched on June 19, 2020, it received “universal acclaim” from critics, holding a 93/100 on Metacritic and a 95% recommendation rate on OpenCritic. Game Informer awarded it a 10/10, calling it “the best narrative game I have played.” IGN’s review called it “a masterpiece worthy of its predecessor.” The praise focused on gameplay improvements, technical fidelity, and the cast’s performances—especially Ashley Johnson as Ellie and Laura Bailey as Abby.
But on the audience side, the backlash erupted almost immediately. Metacritic’s user reviews system let anyone post a score without verification or a waiting period. Within its first day, the game’s user score dropped to the low 3s out of 10, with thousands of negative reviews citing the plot, character decisions, and what some called “social justice warrior” politics. Kotaku’s Riley MacLeod pointed out that many negative reviews appeared before it was feasible to have finished the game, suggesting they were based on incomplete leaked information or pre-existing anger rather than actual play.
Some of the most common complaints centered on Joel’s death. Critics of the game argued that the scene was “disrespectful” to his character, inconsistent with his cautious nature, and done purely for shock value. Matthew Byrd of Den of Geek countered that Joel’s actions—protecting young women and showing trust—were consistent with his depiction, and that his years in Jackson had softened his cynicism.
Another flashpoint was the introduction of Abby as a playable character. After Joel’s murder, the perspective shifts to Abby for much of the game. Neil Druckmann explained that this structure was inspired by the switch from Joel to Ellie in the first game, but pushed further to emphasize empathy. Some fans, however, rejected the narrative, refusing to play as Joel’s killer. Others pointed to a lack of agency, with Polygon’s Maddy Myers and Kotaku’s Riley MacLeod noting that players were forced to participate in actions they might find objectionable.
The game’s representation of LGBTQ characters, including Ellie’s relationship with Dina and the inclusion of Lev, a trans boy, attracted both praise and vitriol. While many reviews, like those from Eurogamer and The Spinoff, applauded the inclusivity, a subset of players cited these elements as evidence of “forced diversity” or “agenda-pushing.” The backlash was particularly intense in regions where the game was banned, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, due to depictions of LGBTQ relationships.
The review bombing led Metacritic to implement a 36-hour waiting period after game launches before user reviews could be posted, an unprecedented measure at the time. This change was a direct response to the scale and speed of the backlash against The Last of Us Part II.
Amid the storm of negative user reviews, the game achieved commercial success, selling over four million copies in its first release weekend and reaching 10 million by 2022. It also won 326 Game of the Year awards, surpassing the previous record set by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. At The Game Awards in December 2020, it scored seven awards, making it the most awarded title in that show’s history at the time.
After the initial backlash, developer Neil Druckmann and members of the cast, including Laura Bailey, faced targeted harassment and threats online. Bailey, who played Abby, posted messages she received, some of which included death threats. Druckmann described the response as a “hate campaign,” and Naughty Dog publicly condemned the harassment.
As the months passed, some gaming journalists pointed out that the intensity of the backlash was not representative of the majority of players. CNET’s Daniel Van Boom wrote that the review bombers were a vocal minority, while Kotaku’s analysis highlighted the thousands of positive reviews and the limitations of Metacritic’s scoring system.
The studio’s approach to marketing also played a role in the controversy. Naughty Dog deliberately altered trailers and replaced characters in promotional material to prevent spoilers, referencing the marketing strategy of Metal Gear Solid 2. Some fans accused the studio of being deceptive, claiming they had been misled about Joel’s role in the story.
The debate about the game’s themes, particularly its stance on violence, player agency, and the effectiveness of perspective shifts, has continued for years. Some critics, like Vice’s Rob Zacny, argued that the game “doesn’t have much to say,” while others praised its ambition in forcing players to confront uncomfortable choices.
By the time the remastered version launched for PlayStation 5 in January 2024 and for Windows in April 2025, the initial furor had settled. The remaster received “universal acclaim” from critics, holding a 90/100 on Metacritic, and many reviewers highlighted the technical improvements and new gameplay modes. Still, some journalists and players questioned whether the game needed a remaster so soon, though the $10 upgrade price for existing owners was generally well received.
As of now, the fanbase remains divided. Some players continue to defend the narrative choices as bold and necessary, while others maintain that the story “ruined” beloved characters. Debates still flare up on forums and in comment sections, focusing on whether the game’s depiction of revenge, trauma, and forgiveness succeeded or failed. The most persistent debate centers on Abby’s character: was her arc a justified exploration of empathy, or an unwelcome detour from the story fans wanted?