'The Last of Us Part II' nails down release date while 'Ghost of Tushima' moves to July

2020 is proving to be a difficult year for various reasons. Namely, the coronavirus outbreak, Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash, and so much more. From a gaming point of view, there are several big notable events that will have a profound impact on the industry. These are the upcoming launches of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Nintendo, on the other hand, is reportedly holding back on new hardware until later on. Moreover, Sony shared some updates about "The Last of Us Part II" and "Ghost of Tsushima."

Last year, PlayStation 4 users were excited to finally hear about the release date of several console exclusives. However, earlier this year, most of these were unexpectedly pushed back due to various reasons. A little over two weeks ago, one of those games – "Final Fantasy VII Remake" – debuted to critical acclaim. A week before, Naughty Dog announced that its highly anticipated sequel to one of the best survival horror game was delayed indefinitely.

This led many to suspect that Sony might have had a hand in the matter. Others quickly speculated that the sequel might have been intentionally pushed back to become a launch title for the PS5. The game studio initially revealed that it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult for the developers to meet the deadline. Thankfully, head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios Hermen Hulst revealed the latest details on the official PlayStation Blog.

He went on to explain how the coronavirus outbreak has affected the gaming industry in many ways. As people were forced to work remotely to reduce viral transmissions, it proved difficult to maintain productivity.

As such, Hulst extends his congratulations to Sucker Punch and Naughty Dog for their work on "Ghost of Tsushima" and "The Last of Us Part II," respectively. Given the level of quality that fans expect from the two, it was impressive how both were able to overcome the health crisis to finish development.

Finally, the PlayStation executive thanked gamers who have supported the platform and its software. "The Last of Us Part II" is finally launching on Friday, June 19, while "Ghost of Tsushima" was moved to Friday, July 17. This was probably to ensure that players have enough time to enjoy each title to its fullest without distractions.