New 'The Last of Us' Sequel Rumors Surface: Are We Bound to See a 19-Year Old Ellie?

It has been three years since the release of the survival horror game "The Last of Us," and gamers still find themselves haunted by its tearful conclusion. Moreso, the emergence of post-apocalyptic tales and zombie-filled movies have fueled the fans' clamor to see a sequel come into fruition.

Apparently, we won't have to wait long.

According to a recent link shared by N4G.com through Imgur, an unreleased page for an unverified game magazine has purportedly revealed that the game's developer, Naughty Dog, is currently spearheading the conception of "The Last of Us 2."

Rumors have pointed that the said article was supposed to be released just in time for E3 2016, which didn't happen due to Naughty Dog pulling out their announcement of the sequel's development. Furthermore, the article has depicted a concept art showing an older and battle-hardened Ellie, who seemed to have inherited Joel's hunter-esque instincts.

The article also contains a statement from one of the first game's devs, Bruce Straley, as he shares in detail the things we should expect regarding the sequel's iteration of Ellie.

"Ellie will show herself as a strategist in these occasions, given that in these five years, she's learned a lot with Joel, much more than what the previous game has revealed. But that doesn't mean she won't show us her wilder and more violent side. However, that will depend a lot on the situation, and maybe, even the players."

Straley apparently went on, and discussed the possibilities this game may offer in terms of the story.

"The larger scenarios leave many possibilities of interaction, and this was a big deal to the team. The gameplay freedom is huge. We want the players to be creative and explore these mechanics as much as possible, using anything they have at their disposal in each location."

The Last of Us is played from a third-person perspective; players use firearms and improvised weapons, and can use stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. "Listen Mode" allows players to locate enemies through a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness. Weapons can also be upgraded using items scavenged from the environment. In the game's online multiplayer mode, up to eight players engage in co-operative and competitive gameplay in recreations of single-player settings.