One of this year's most-anticipated releases, The Last of Us 2, is no longer available on the PlayStation Store, it seems. This means players are no longer able to pre-order the game or view the page's various screenshots and videos, though they should be relatively easy to find online.
The news comes following The Last of Us 2's indefinite delay. Logistics issues caused by the coronavirus has made it impossible to tell when the game will actually be ready to ship, despite the game nearly being finished. It's an unfortunate move, but a necessary one given how unpredictable the coronavirus pandemic has been.
It seems that releasing the digital edition of the game early may have been considered at some point, but Neil Druckman, The Last of Us 2's director, has since stated that the digital edition will not be released early. This is primarily to avoid spoilers in areas where download speeds aren't fast enough for downloading a game as large as The Last of Us. After all, the first title was a global hit for PlayStation, and internet speeds are still lacking in areas all around the world.
Removing the PlayStation Store page for the game entirely does seem like a bit of a strange move, but Sony typically doesn't put up games without some sort of release window, so it does make sense. The delay was crushing for many fans, most of which have waited an entire console generation to see the next chapter in The Last of Us. Unfortunately, this isn't a delay caused by bugs, rather by factors outside of Naughty Dog's control.
Sony did release new Last of Us 2 screenshots shortly after the delay, at least offering fans a glimpse of what's to come. Now, all anyone can do is wait, and hope that the game releases sooner rather than later. However, no new date has been given thus far.
Gamers should expect more delays as time goes on. The coronavirus has uprooted daily life by a substantial degree, and video games aren't immune to that by any measure. Hopefully, the situation is resolved before even more games get pushed back.
Source: PlayStation Store, PushSquare