Former Naughty Dog Developer Addresses Controversial Decision to Kill Joel in The Last of Us: Part II

A former Naughty Dog developer who contributed to both The Last of Us and its sequel has spoken publicly about the divisive creative choice to kill off Joel—the franchise’s central protagonist—in The Last of Us: Part II.

Major spoilers for The Last of Us: Part II and the broader franchise follow below.

Heather Cerlan, an environment and texture artist on both games, revealed during an interview on Kiwi Talkz—cited by GamesRadar—that Naughty Dog was “pretty split” internally over Joel’s death. “It was controversially internal, too,” she stated.

Joel’s death leaked prior to The Last of Us: Part II’s release, sparking widespread online debate as fans reacted intensely to the loss of one of gaming’s most iconic characters.

In The Last of Us: Part II, Joel is killed by Abby, who tracks him down and executes him with a golf club as retribution for his massacre at the hospital in the first game—including the fatal shooting of Abby’s father.

The moment proved deeply shocking upon the game’s 2020 release. It was later adapted with comparable intensity in HBO’s television adaptation, specifically in Season 2’s episode “Through the Valley.” Unlike players encountering the narrative for the first time, viewers familiar with the game or lore were aware of the impending tragedy.

Following the game’s launch, some players directed severe hostility toward Laura Bailey—the voice and motion-capture performer for Abby—including issuing death threats and threats against her newborn child. Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Abby in the HBO series and is set to assume a larger role in the upcoming third season, also faced significant backlash for embodying the character.

Although Joel is deceased within the established canon, Troy Baker—the actor behind Joel in the games—has affirmed that fans have “not seen the last of Joel.” While the precise implication remains unconfirmed, speculation centers on the possibility of a prequel title.

Naughty Dog currently has multiple single-player projects in active development. One is the new intellectual property Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The identity of the second project remains undisclosed; theories include a new The Last of Us installment or Uncharted 5.