The Last of Us community has special memories of September 26, the Outbreak Day. This was the date that the Cordyceps Brain infection had reached censorious mass. The infection had spread nationwide, and countless people had to be admitted into hospitals. Subsequently, a National Emergency was declared, and the Army was mobilized, causing unrest and havoc among people. Joel later looked back at this day and remembered how “families were torn apart” and how it was “a God-awful mess”.

The community undoubtedly remembers the Outbreak Day very well. To add to the chronicle of this day, Naughty Dog launches new merchandise, and content on September 26, annually. However, the COVID-19 pandemic this year has altered the connotation of the word ‘outbreak.’

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Naughty Dog recently tweeted,

“For the last 7 years, September 26 has been our opportunity to recognize and celebrate the increasing passion of The Last of Us community. However, as we thought about the events of the last year and the challenges we all continue to face with COVID-19, we didn’t feel right continuing on under the ‘Outbreak Day’ banner.

“While the name and date are rotted in the fiction of the game, September 26 means so much more than lore. It’s about showing our appreciation for our fans.

“That’s why, this Saturday and moving forward, September 26 will be known as The Last of Us Day – a name that not only acknowledges the world around us but also reflects the growth of the community as we welcome millions of new players with the release of The last of Us Part II. We have a lot of exciting things planned and we can’t wait to share them with you in just a few days!”

The Last of Us Day celebration plans by Naughty Dog

Despite the name change, fans will not have to compromise much on the celebration. The well-liked The Last of Us Part 2 lines of merchandise were a part of the previous celebrations. Fans also loved the Part 2 posters and t-shirts in 2017.

Earlier this year, Part 2 of the famous franchise released on PS4 and broke a few sales records in its debut month. This will be the first celebration since this huge success of the game. Devs have planned a lot of new exciting stuff to mark the special occasion.