The Last Of Us Is Heading To Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights – But There's A Catch
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Naughty Dog and PlayStation's incredible video game "The Last of Us," and to celebrate, the game will be the subject of a brand new haunted house during Halloween Horror Nights at both the Universal Orlando resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. And while your mind may immediately leap to images of Clickers jumping out of the walls to scare the bejeezus out of guests, that alone wouldn't fully encompass the spirit of the game; after all, part of the thesis statement of "The Last of Us" is about how humans can become just as dangerous as the creatures in its post-pandemic, zombie-plagued world. So expect some grungy looking humans to try to scare the fungus out of you, too.
According to a press release:
"The Last of Us" haunted houses on both coasts will propel guests into a world of carnage and mayhem as they follow in the footsteps of the game's protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who endure a brutal journey in a world overtaken by a fungal virus that turns humans into various forms of a new threat known as the Infected. As guests encounter the Infected — Runners, Stalkers, and Clickers — along with The Hunters, a band of hostile humans, they will need to navigate the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone, including iconic locations from the video game such as the creepy and desolate The Hotel Grand and a labyrinth of dark and dank tunnels, in a desperate attempt to escape and survive.
Don't expect any imagery of Pedro Pascal or Bella Ramsey
Because this experience seems to be limited to the first video game and not HBO's ultra-successful TV adaptation, do not expect to see any Pedro Pascal or Bella Ramsey imagery associated with this haunted house. But Naughty Dog's co-president and game creator Neil Druckmann promised that the experience is "focusing on even the tiniest details that our fans know so well," so keep a sharp eye out for Easter eggs and references to game lore. If the haunted house is limiting its scope to the Pittsburgh QZ and The Hotel Grand, you will surely spot tons of Firefly graffiti, FEDRA agents, and maybe even Ellie's joke book.
For folks who never played the game, don't fret: The show did such an incredible job of faithfully adapting this opening part of the game that I imagine you'll be able to recognize almost everything you see in this haunted house as something familiar from the series. And although a Bloater didn't appear until a little later in the show, don't be surprised if that's one of the heart-stopping scares this haunted house has in store for you as part of its big conclusion. If the show can figure out a way to make a practical Bloater suit, I expect Halloween Horror Nights might, too.
The "Last of Us" haunted house hits Universal Orlando Resort on September 1, 2023, and Universal Studios Hollywood on September 7, 2023.