The Last of Us Part 2 leaks appear to have originated from hackers, not a disgruntled employee

The recent leak of The Last of Us Part 2 spoilers appears to have been the work of hackers.

While initial rumours suggested the massive leak was initiated by a disgruntled employee in protest of poor labour conditions, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier now claims to have learned what happened after speaking to a number of employees at the studio.

Taking to Twitter, Schreier reports that major story elements of the game were leaked by hackers who discovered a security vulnerability to access Naughty Dog's servers.

"OK: After talking to two people with direct knowledge of how TLOU2 leaked as well as some Naughty Dog employees, I have a good idea of what happened," Schreier wrote in a tweet today. "Short version: hackers found a security vulnerability in a patch for an older ND game and used it to get access to ND's servers.

"I think the footage that leaked is from devs playing an early build (I haven't watched it). Most importantly, rumors of this being an act of protest by a contractor whose pay was robbed are not true. (ND actually extended pay and healthcare benefits for contractors due to covid)."

Following an investigation, Sony confirmed late last week that the leaker was neither affiliated with Naughty Dog nor SIE.

Naughty Dog released its own statement in the aftermath, writing on Twitter, "We know the last few days have been incredibly difficult for you. We feel the same. It's disappointing to see the release and sharing of pre-release footage from development. Do your best to avoid spoilers and we ask that you don't spoil it for others. The Last of Us Part 2 will be in your hands soon. No matter what you see and hear, the final experience will be worth it."

Sony recently confirmed the revised release for The Last of Us Part 2 following its indefinite delay last month. The upcoming sequel will arrive June 19 on PlayStation 4.