"Last of Us" developer Naughty Dog was flooded with messages of disappointment following the purported sequel's no-show at the recently concluded Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2016 in Los Angeles. While the non-appearance was truly a huge reason for fans to freak out, they remain hopeful that the game studio will not disappointment them further by not working on the highly anticipated "Last of Us 2."
Late in May, lead designer Emilia Schatz posted a job on Twitter fueling speculations that Naughty Dog is hiring game designers to work on the follow-up title to the highly-touted action-survival role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic open world, Chatt Sports Net reported.
The job ad on the studio's website mentions that the game developer is seeking for qualified level designers who can inject captivating emotional elements into the gameplay and storyline development. After all, Naughty Dog is already done completing "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" last month. This should free up more time for starting on "Last of Us 2" development.
In addition, game director and writer Neil Druckmann previously indicated that there is a "50/50" of seeing the game in development following the release of Uncharted 4 according to Science World Report.
Following the critically-acclaimed success of the original game, Naughty Dog is thrown into great pressure to create an equally captivating survival sequel, Cross Map reported. The Easter egg found in "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" seemed to partially confirm of a possible development of a follow-up game which focus on pregnant Ellie, her immunity to the virus, and the Joel's purported death.
Speculations have become rife after the discovery of "The Last of Us: American Daughters" poster found in "Uncharted 4" featuring a pregnant woman wearing a gas mask with a gun in her hand. Some fans think that the woman could be Ellie or her mom, Anna. If the woman in the poster is Anna, then the next title would be a prequel instead of a sequel.
Whatever comes out from rumor mill, there is one thing that fans could probably agree on: Naughty Dog has the habit of dropping hints of an incoming game ahead of any official announcement. This could mean that the "Uncharted 4" Easter eggs should be taken as a positive sign for the action-survival RPG's sequel (or prequel).
