The Last of Us Part II: Studio confirms players will not need to kill dogs to finish the game, after marketing copy sparks outrage

Marketing copy by an independent retailer caused a stir after it suggested players would learn it was ‘necessary’ to slaughter canine foes

One of the creators of the hugely anticipated game The Last of Us Part II has responded to backlash after leaked promotional material suggested players would need to slaughter dogs to complete the game.

In The Last of Us Part II, you play as Ellie, a young woman trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic US. As part of her survival, Ellie will be hunted by enemies who use attack dogs to hunt her down.

Games retailer GameStop recently used some marketing copy which said: “The game doesn’t pull any punches or ‘stray’ from the idea that while you’re playing as Ellie to survive, killing dogs is necessary.

“You’ll also have to deal with the fact though that each dog has an owner, which will call out the dog’s name and cry in absolute horror when they discover their lifeless furry best friend.”

Naturally, the response to the promotion was one of outrage, with many online voicing their concern that a game would feature such realistic violence against animals. The marketing copy has since been deleted.

Arne Meyer, the communications director for The Last of Us games studio Naughty Dog, said that the company “didn’t write or assist writing [the copy].”

“Don’t appreciate out of context screenshot crops without mentioning the source,” he added. ”Folks, please google these things! This text came from an independent editorial post from a retailer.”

While The Last of Us Part II‘s co-director Anthony Newman has confirmed that you do not need to murder any canine foes in order to progress through the game, although it will be harder to finish without doing so.

He described the feature as part of the “regrettable violence” experience that is central to the game’s message.

The Last of Us Part II is released on PS4 on 19 June 2020.