'The Last of Us 2' release date news, updates: Game expected in 2021; new characters coming?

Fans of "The Last of Us" video game are all asking for one thing and it's when the sequel of the action-adventure survival horror video game will happen? Until now, developer Naughty Dog has not made any announcement so it's still a mystery to the gamers.

There are reports saying, though, that the game's release won't be so soon. It's speculated to arrive not earlier than 2021 as Naughty Dog is currently putting their focus on the launch of "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End." It's also said that series creator Neil Druckmann revealed that they are making "Uncharted 4" a priority for now, so "Last of Us 2" will have to sit and wait at the back until they finish their current project.

There is nothing to worry, though, regarding its existence as Druckmann previously spoke to The Frame that they have already started on a prototype for the sequel of "The Last of Us." However, until all the DLCs for "Uncharted 4" are finished, the development of the prototypes for "The Last of Us 2" are put on hold. Development is expected to start by next year.

Other reports say, though, that Naughty Dog is taking their time because they are waiting for the next-gen consoles to arrive. Since Naughty Dog usually takes a long time to complete a game just like the first title which took three and a half years, the second installment is really expected to take a while. The predicted year 2021 release date is a reasonable one. It's also expected that by that time, the latest console models are out already.

In other news, the game is rumored to bring in new characters to the mix. The first installment only introduced two characters, Joel and Ellie, who are voiced and portrayed by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, respectively, through motion capture. Unfortunately, there are no details regarding these new characters. Fans will have to watch out for more updates.