The Last of Us Fans Surprised With New PS5 Freebie
The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog has surprised fans this week with the release of a new freebie on PS5 consoles. Despite The Last of Us Part 3 not currently being on the horizon, Naughty Dog still celebrates its beloved post-apocalyptic series each year on “The Last of Us Day”. This annual holiday of sorts takes place each year on September 26th and typically results in a number of new announcements related to the series. And while Naughty Dog is making these announcements a bit later than normal in 2026, it has released a new download that fans can grab for themselves right now.
As of this moment, the Welcome Hub section of PS5 consoles has been updated to include a new background tied to The Last of Us. This background, which appears when scrolling over the Welcome Hub tab on PS5, features an animated version of the artwork from The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. This represents the first background tied to The Last of Us to be added to those available on the Welcome Hub and is a very nice addition for those who adore the franchise.
To get a look at this PS5 background for yourself, you can find it in the post here:
We'll be celebrating #TLOUDay on Monday, but we do have a fun surprise for you today.
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) September 26, 2026
For the first time ever, a The Last of Us-themed background is being added to the PlayStation Welcome Hub. Log in to your PlayStation account and download it to see how our team has… pic.twitter.com/aK6F85FM2I
As mentioned, this release from Naughty Dog is merely the first in a larger slate of announcements that the studio should make today. Currently, Naughty Dog hasn’t shed much light on what it will be revealing to coincide with The Last of Us Day 2026, but there’s a good chance that it will be more scaled back than normal. As such, don’t anticipate any new game announcements or anything similar, as Naughty Dog is instead focused on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at the moment.
It’s also unlikely that Naughty Dog will say anything about HBO’s The Last of Us, as the studio is no longer involved with the show’s creation. Franchise director Neil Druckmann notably pulled out from working on The Last of Us TV series after the release of Season 2, with Naughty Dog as a whole since distancing itself from the adaptation. As a result, while Naughty Dog might at the very least reference the show as part of its The Last of Us Day celebrations, there’s a good chance it doesn’t share any news about the show.
How do you feel about this new PS5 freebie that Naughty Dog has pushed out to consoles this week? And are you still hoping that The Last of Us Part 3 will end up happening in the future? Be sure to let me know for yourself down in the comments section.