September 26 is the day in The Last of Us when the cordyceps infection reached critical mass, becoming known as “Outbreak Day.” Every year, Naughty Dog and The Last of Us fans celebrate the story of Joel and Ellie enduring and surviving by celebrating The Last of Us Day. These celebrations mean even more in this, the 10th anniversary year of the series’ first game. So, how is this popular game being celebrated during this landmark year?
Naughty Dog definitely wanted to manage expectations, alerting fans in advance that their annual The Last of Us Day livestream would not break any news about possible future games or HBO’s popular The Last of Us show but would instead be focusing on art and merch.
It’s a good thing they announced this beforehand because the livestream felt more like an ad than an event. Don’t get me wrong, fans love merch, but this felt like an infomercial with an old Troy Baker musical performance tacked onto the end. You’d think that for a milestone anniversary year, they would’ve planned something a little more … celebratory. Interviews with creators, new live music—something. Still, if you’d like to check out the livestream yourself, it’s available to watch here.
A few fun things were announced during the livestream, however, as well as other events that have been going on to celebrate The Last of Us Day and our favorite game’s 10th anniversary year, including a collab between Naughty Dog and a real-life band that figures heavily into TLoU lore.
PEARL JAM x THE LAST OF US 10th Anniversary Halloween T-shirt
One of the many The Last of Us moments that’ll make you weep is when Joel plays the Pearl Jam song “Future Days” for Ellie in The Last of Us Part II. To celebrate TLoU‘s 10th Anniversary, Pearl Jam decided to dedicate their annual Halloween t-shirt to The Last of Us, acknowledging the connection and honoring this poignant in-game moment. You can check out and purchase the shirt for $35 at Pearl Jam’s official website.
Art, Art, and more art!
Art from and inspired by The Last of Us is all around us. Some of it is fan art that’s caught the attention of Naughty Dog and HBO, and some have been officially commissioned by Naughty Dog as part of the 10th anniversary celebration. Here’s how you can check out the art and maybe even hang some of it in your own home!
The Last of Us 10th Anniversary art exhibit at Gallery Nucleus (Alhambra, CA)
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you have until October 1st to check out The Last of Us 10th Anniversary art exhibit at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra. Part art exhibit, part interactive experience, the show features some gorgeous art like my favorite painting above, “Ellie’s World” by artist Betty Jiang, which places our heroine in a nod to another favorite painting of mine, Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina’s World.” It also features selfie-ready set-ups of familiar set pieces from the game, like a lone guitar resting on an armchair and a camping set-up with Ellie’s backpack sitting near a sleeping bag. One of the cooler touches was that the upstairs “interactive” area was filled with clicker noises, and the paintings were displayed in low light, encouraging you to bust out your phone’s flashlight to admire them, as if you were stumbling upon the remnants of an old art exhibit during the post-apocalypse.
While most, if not all, of the original paintings have sold, there are still some gorgeous limited-edition prints, postcards, and other memorabilia available for purchase on the gallery’s website. And if you’re nowhere near California, you can check out all of the art from the exhibit there as well.
Fangamer x The Last of Us Limited Edition Digital Prints
Whether you’re a fan of the games or a fan of the HBO show, there’s art celebrating your fandom. Naughty Dog has teamed up with Fangamer and artist Greg Ruth, commissioning two original artworks in celebration of TLoU‘s 10th Anniversary. The first is called “Hunt,” celebrating in-game Ellie in an active stance. The other, called “Nest,” recalls an iconic shot of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie from the HBO adaptation. Both are available as hand-numbered, 18×24″ digital prints on 290gsm cotton rag paper using archival pigment ink and can be pre-ordered until October 10 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time on Fangamer for $75 each.
HBO celebrates The Last of Us fan art
HBO honored The Last of Us fan art in a reel posted on Instagram, spotlighting some of the work that they’ve been sharing all year during TLoU Fan Art Fridays. This reel includes the work of one of my favorite artists, Rafael Caban—@justralphy on Instagram—who’s been doing amazing TLoU-inspired comic covers and illustrations ever since the HBO series premiered back in January. So, if you want to support any of these artists, check out their handles on Instagram and maybe buy a print or two directly from the source!
The Last of Us new merch drop at the PlayStation Gear store!
Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment have also released a new The Last of Us capsule collection in the PlayStation Gear store in honor of TLoU‘s 10th anniversary, featuring new items like Ellie’s monster keychain ($9.95), her pilot wing pin ($9.95), and a replica of Ellie’s backpack ($64.95). If you want (need) all three items, you can get them in a bundle for $75.95. There are also other awesome new products, like a tricked-out notebook set, a new floral hoodie, and more. All of these anniversary items are available for pre-order now and will ship in October or November.
The Last of Us at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios (Orlando and Hollywood)
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios has been a Spooky Season staple for years, and this year The Last of Us joins the festivities with its very own haunted house experience. I’m still debating whether or not I want to go, despite being a huge TLoU fan because I’m such a big baby. Thankfully, there are plenty of walk-throughs you can check out online if you can’t make it to the parks.
But if you or I want to check it out in person, we only have until Halloween to do it. It requires a separate ticket purchase independent from a daytime park ticket. Tickets start at $77, but you should note that tickets are more expensive on weekends. You can explore ticket options for the Hollywood location here, and the Orlando location here.
Happy The Last of Us Day everyone! May your survival be long, etc.
(featured image: Greg Ruth for HBO/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
