'It was controversial internally too' — Former Naughty Dog dev says the studio was 'split' on The Last of Us Part 2's most divisive death
Former Naughty Dog artist Heather Cerlan revealed that the controversial death of Joel in The Last of Us Part 2 was divisive within the studio as well as among fans. The decision to kill Joel early in the game sparked strong reactions both internally and externally. Cerlan confirmed that the team was split on the narrative choice, which also led to leaks and online harassment prior to release.
- ▪Heather Cerlan worked as an artist on The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted 4, and The Lost Legacy.
- ▪She stated that Naughty Dog was 'pretty split' on the outcome of Joel's death in the game.
- ▪Joel's death was leaked before release, resulting in online abuse and death threats toward Abby's voice actress, Laura Bailey, and her family.
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| Original publisher | TechRadar |
| Canonical URL | https://www.techradar.com/gaming/it-was-controversial-internally-too-former-naughty-dog-dev-says-the-studio-was-split-on-the-last-of-us-part-2s-most-divisive-death |
| Publication time | Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:23:36 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-04-28T16:37:43.353Z |
| Last seen | 2026-04-28T16:37:43.353Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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Gaming 'It was controversial internally too' — Former Naughty Dog dev says the studio was 'split' on The Last of Us Part 2's most divisive death News By Demi Williams published 28 April 2026 It wasn't just fans who were torn on the decision When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Sony/Naughty Dog) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Former Naughty Dog artist Heather Cerlan revealed that the controversial death in The Last of Us Part 2 was divisive internallyCerlan says the studio was "split" on the decisionThe death was hugely controversial among…
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