'The Last Of Us 2' Release Date: Game To Be Out Earlier Than Expected? Naughty Dog Done With 'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'

Naughty Dog has reportedly started working on "The Last of Us 2." Although earlier sources claimed that the game developers would only have time for the sequel after the release of "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," it seems like they have gotten a head start back in December.

According to Gaming Bolt, Sony has filed a trademark for a new game called "Days Gone" last December 28. Although details on the game remain scarce, the outlet speculated that it definitely had something to do with "The Last of Us 2."

It was pointed out that the pilot episode of "The Walking Dead" was called "Days Gone Bye" and given that the two shared may thematic similarities it was highly possible that they are already working on the sequel.

"Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" is slated for release on April 26. Since it is only a couple of months away, insiders claim that Naughty Dog is pretty much done with the game.

Back in September, "The Last of Us" creative director Neil Druckmann told Games Radar that he was surprised when Nolan North confirmed the sequel. He then shared that there are still a lot of things to consider before they move forward with the project.

Druckmann, however, hinted that he and Bruce Straley already had a few ideas for "The Last of Us 2," it's just that they had to prioritize "Uncharted 4."

"When Bruce (Straley) and I moved over to 'Uncharted 4,' we were brainstorming ideas for 'The Last Of Us 2' with new characters; ideas for TLOU 2 with Joel and Ellie; ideas for a sci-fi game; ideas for a fantasy game, and building prototypes for each one of those ideas," he shared.

Before Druckmann and Straley solidify their plans for the sequel, Naughty Dog asked them to work on "Uncharted 4." Insiders point out that since they already had a couple of ideas for the game, it could actually speed up its process which could result to an earlier release date.