The Last of Us Is Getting a Universal Halloween Horror Nights Experience

Universal is teaming up with PlayStation to create a haunted house experience based on Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, which will feature iconic locations from the 2013 game, clickers, and more as part of its Halloween Horror Nights series of in-person events.

The themed experiences will see guests follow in the footsteps of series protagonists Joel and Ellie as they encounter infected runners, clickers, and human raiders, while passing through familiar locations from the 2013 game, such as The Hotel Grand, and Pittsburgh quarantine zone.

“As a massive fan – and frequent attendee – of Halloween Horror Nights, we are honored to have ‘The Last of Us’ included in this year’s lineup. It has been an incredible thrill for us at Naughty Dog to collaborate with Universal, bringing the world of the game to life, focusing on even the tiniest details that our fans know so well,” said Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann in a statement. 

Who says nothing good comes out of this website? The Last of Us is coming to @UniStudios & @UniversalORL for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights!

Thanks for answering the call, @Michael_Aiello and setting up what has been an incredible collaboration! https://t.co/rKsJvnZvQV pic.twitter.com/0wFMkZLism

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) June 15, 2023

The events will run on select nights between Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 later this year at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the Universal Orlando Resort. Tickets are available to book as of today, with more details on The Last of Us experience – and the reveal of other haunted houses in the Halloween Horror series – expected to follow shortly. 

“The world inside the game offers a multitude of suspenseful and horrifying opportunities to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Halloween Horror Nights,” said the event’s executive producer John Murdy.

The Last of Us has become something of a cultural phenomenon following the original title’s 2013 PlayStation 3 release, spawning a full-on remake, a sequel in the form of The Last of Us Part II, and a successful TV adaptation, which HBO has commissioned for a second season. 

Earlier this week, Naughty Dog marked the franchise’s 10-year anniversary with the release of a Photo Mode Collection, and a blog reflecting on the series’ history and development. However, some fans of the series were left disappointed by the lack of updates on the untitled multiplayer title that is currently in development at the studio.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer