Naughty Dog Releases Free The Last of Us PS5 Background

Naughty Dog released a free The Last of Us-themed animated background for the PlayStation 5 Welcome Hub on September 26, 2026. The studio announced the release on its official social media account to celebrate The Last of Us Day 2026.

To access the background, users must handle to the PS5's Welcome Hub, select 'Change Background,' and then choose the The Last of Us option from the Games tab. No download is required. The background features both the younger and older versions of Ellie from the mainline games. It is not a dynamic theme or wallpaper. The release was described as a surprise ahead of the main celebrations. Naughty Dog said, "We'll be celebrating #TLOUDay on Monday, but we do have a fun surprise for you today. 🧡🩵"

Details and Access

The background is a static image requiring no download. It depicts Ellie at different ages, connecting directly to the game series. The studio's social media post stated, "For the first time ever, a The Last of Us-themed background is being added to the PlayStation Welcome Hub." The annual The Last of Us Day honors the franchise, with September 26 marking the in-universe date of the catastrophic outbreak. This free digital item continues Naughty Dog's tradition of marking the day with fan offerings.

Future Teasers

Naughty Dog confirmed it will not share any major The Last of Us announcements until Monday, September 28, 2026. For that day, the studio has teased a partnership announcement, a collaboration, digital surprises, and more. A charity stream for the game's No Return mode on Twitch is also planned. The exact nature of the digital surprises and the beneficiary of the charity stream were not specified.

Franchise Context

This release arrives amid ongoing fan speculation about the future of the game series. While Sony has not confirmed The Last of Us Part 3, Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann recently stated, We're not done with 'The Last of Us.' We're working on several very exciting projects that we want to talk about when the time is right. This has fueled hope for a potential third chapter. The studio is concurrently developing a new intellectual property, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

In related franchise news, casting for the HBO series' third season is underway. The new cast includes:

Fans now await Naughty Dog’s promised partnership announcement, collaboration, and digital surprises on September 28, 2026, alongside the No Return charity stream.