Joel, the first The Last of Us game's protagonist, is killed by Abby in the opening hours of The Last of Us Part 2, and the decision divided the studio as well as fans, Heather Cerlan said. “I think the studio was pretty split on the outcome of what happens. It was controversial internally, too,” Cerlan said. [1]
The plot point leaked before the game's June 2020 release, and Laura Bailey, who voiced Abby, said the backlash turned ugly fast. “Every time I went online, that's all I saw. Death threats and threats of violence,” Bailey said, describing threats that also reached her infant son. [1]
The reaction stayed fresh inside Naughty Dog as it prepared its next game. Neil Druckmann told Tati Gabrielle, the lead actor in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, to brace for abuse after the studio saw what happened with The Last of Us Part 2. Gabrielle said Druckmann urged her to ignore the noise and focus on the work. “No matter what, me and you, we're going to make something beautiful,” she said he told her. [1]
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, announced in late 2024, casts Gabrielle as bounty hunter Jordan A Mun. Druckmann said he tried to prepare her mentally for the online backlash that can follow a high-profile role in a Naughty Dog game. [1]
