Naughty Dog surprised fans today by releasing a free update for The Last of Us Part II Remastered that introduces a Chronological Experience mode. The update, available now on PlayStation 5 and PC, reorders the game’s non-linear narrative into a linear timeline that follows Ellie and Abby’s stories chronologically.The new mode allows players to experience pivotal moments in proper sequence, such as watching Ellie receive her guitar and then immediately learning to play it. Players can also observe how closely Ellie and Abby’s paths intersect during their journeys through Seattle, seeing how their actions directly impact each other throughout the story.Despite offering this new perspective, Naughty Dog emphasizes that first-time players should still experience the original non-linear structure, which was “very intentional and core to how our studio wanted Part 2’s themes and narrative beats to impact players.” The chronological mode is positioned as a supplementary experience for returning players seeking fresh insights into the narrative.The update includes new PlayStation trophies for completing the chronological experience and unlocks special costumes for the No Return survival mode. Players can dress Joel as Nathan Drake and Tommy as Sam Drake from Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series, celebrating the studio’s 40th anniversary.Editorial Content Manager Jonathon Dornbush stated that the chronological mode required significant collaboration between Naughty Dog and development partner Nixxes to seamlessly restructure the meticulously crafted story.The timing coincides with renewed interest following The Last of Us HBO series‘ second season finale, though creator Neil Druckmann recently announced he’s stepping back from the show to focus on upcoming projects including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.Additional performance improvements and bug fixes are included in the update, designated as Patch 2.1.0 for PlayStation 5 and Patch 1.5 for PC platforms Steam and Epic Games Store.