Sony Calms ‘The Last of Us’ Release Date Speculation

In lieu of an official release date, retailers will often make an “educated guess” as to the release date in order to open up and encourage gamers to pre-order.

Wal-Mart may have done just that with The Last of Us, as the retailer has reportedly opened up pre-orders for the game, which it says is coming out around spring of next year. The news follows recent speculation that matches up with Wal-Mart’s date.

Developer Naughty Dog hasn’t been shy about showing off screenshots and footage of its next project, The Last of Us, since its reveal last year, but the studio has so far kept its lips sealed when it comes to a release date for the PlayStation 3 exclusive.

Naughty Dog still isn’t willing to share a date, but Sony has stepped in to try and quell all of the speculation from retailers and gamers alike. In a statement to IGN, the company said, “We haven’t announced any release date,” adding that “Walmart is speculating.”

The Last of Us was first announced during the 2011 Spike VGAs and has since been shown off at several events. The game centers around two characters, Joel and Ellie, and takes place in a post-apocalyptic vision of New York City that came about from a deadly outbreak.

Whereas Naughty Dog’s previous franchise, Uncharted, focused on action-packed set pieces, The Last of Us takes a different direction. Based on what we’ve seen, the game is a character-driven experience that largely revolves around the concept of stealth.

Given that we first heard about The Last of Us at last year’s VGAs, it wouldn’t be surprising if we didn’t hear something new — possibly even a release date — during the 2012 Spike VGAs, which is set to air this weekend.