For those who haven’t kept up with the situation, many fans turned their vitriol on Druckmann and Bailey specifically. This ranges from easily-proven-wrong theories about Druckmann self-inserting himself into The Last of Us 2 to messaging these figures directly. Bailey, whose sole role in the game is to play Abby, has reported death threats and more, while Druckmann has shared various bigoted and seriously disturbing messages.
RELATED: The Last of Us 2 Achieves Impressive Sales Feat
The situation is dark and unfortunate, and Barlog responded to some of Druckmann’s tweet with a simple message: “Fck these people, man. Even when I have zero fcks left to give, f*ck them.” Readers can see Barlog’s response here, but be warned that the original tweet—Druckmann’s messages of bigotry and hate—can be hard to see.
Barlog is just one of many to step up in support of Druckmann and Bailey, as Guardians of the Galaxy Director James Gunn also voiced his support. He called Bailey’s death threats “outlandishly lame,” and when asked while he was more focused on this particular reception instead of the work these fans are supposedly critiquing, he responded, “Because online abuse in all its forms is a much bigger issue than the perceived lack of quality of any particular work.”
As of this writing, none of the replies to Barlog are particularly grotesque, but many did voice their fear of Kratos dying. Some went so far as to compare his death to Joel, and others insisted that it’s not that Joel died, but how he did. Regardless, as those who played God of War know, there’s a prophecy that seemingly shows Kratos dying in the arms of Atreus.
At the end of the day, how the next God of War turns out remains to be seen and is small in comparison to the on-going threats and harassment. As many in the industry agree, despite whatever grievances some have against The Last of Us 2, this sort of response is not okay.
The Last of Us 2 is out now for PS4.
MORE: The Last of Us 2’s Neil Druckmann Talks Transition to PS5
