'The Last of Us 2' release rumors: Naughty Dog to announce the game earlier than E3 2017

(Facebook/naughtydog)Naughty Dog is said to announce "The Last of Us 2" sooner than expected.

After it was heavily speculated that "The Last of Us 2" would not arrive earlier between 2020 and 2021, the latest reports claim that it may just be a matter of time before Naughty Dog announces the highly anticipated game.

Reportedly, a gaming insider named Shinobi602 has hinted of the imminent announcement of "The Last of Us 2" as the incognito source commented on a "The Last of Us" fan art. Although the said source did not specify as to when exactly the game will be revealed or released, his/her statement was a ray of hope to fans who have long awaited the arrival of the game, much more that Shinobi602's past reveals have turned out to be true.

Earlier, it was rumored that Naughty Dog would reveal "The Last of Us 2" at next year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), however, it is now believed that the announcement of the game will happen earlier that the perennial event, where major gaming studios and gaming technology companies make the most important announcements. As to how soon the announcement will be made, fans can only wait and see for now.

Prior to the reveal of Shinobi602, it was also suspected that "The Last of Us 2" will not arrive earlier between 2020 and 2021. This news came after Neil Druckmann, writer and director of "The Last of Us," revealed that they had already started working on the prototypes of the game but had to halt the process as the studio diverted its focus on the development of the upcoming DLC of its other game, "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End."

As the unnamed DLC is expected to come out next year, it was, likewise, suspected that Naughty Dog would resume working on "The Last of Us 2" next year as well. Since Druckmann also disclosed in an interview with The Frame that it took Naughty Dog three years and a half to finish first "The Last of Us" game, many jumped into the conclusion that the game sequel would arrive between 2020 and 2021.

However, with Shinobi602's reveal, fans are now hoping that they can experience "The Last of Us 2" earlier than the suspected time frame.

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