It’s been a big year for The Last of Us. Not only did the original game finally come to PC in 2023, but we also got the beloved live-action adaptation on HBO. Still, even with The Last of Us occupying a big space in pop culture, Naughty Dog, the studio behind the game series, wasn’t finished. There was one last frontier for The Last of Us to conquer: Halloween Horror Nights.
Each year, Universal Studios in Orlando, FL and Los Angeles, CA present its celebration of horror with haunted mazes dotting both theme parks, often inspired by well-known franchises. This year, The Last of Us made the cut. Surprisingly, though, Universal didn’t adapt the TV show. Instead, it’s the original game that has been converted into an immersive experience at the popular theme parks.
The Last of Us experience at Universal is two years in the making, with plans for the attraction going into motion after the game’s writer Neil Druckmann tweeted how much he’d love to see Joel and Ellie’s adventures be part of the annual festivities. According to Druckmann himself, speaking at a Halloween Horror Nights media event, it took less than 24 hours for someone from the parks to reach out and get the ball rolling. Now, fans on each coast can find themselves immersed in The Last of Us in a way the game and the TV show could never accomplish.