Controversy-hit 'The Last of Us 2' wins big at The Game Awards 2020

MANILA, Philippines — "The Last of Us 2" made history with many firsts at The Game Awards, branded as the Oscars of the gaming industry last December 10.

For the first time, the awards were held as a virtual event while being aired live from Los Angeles, London and Tokyo.

Developed by Naughty Dog, the action-adventure game is a sequel the 2013 game with the plot being set five years after the original game. It was released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to rave critic reviews.

Prior to the game's release, however, leaks of the story line surfaced online with developer Naughty Dog having confirmed its legitimacy but assuring fans that the wait for the official release of the game would be worth it.

But those who had seen the leaks took to Metacritic to voice out their criticism. The review bombing happened mere hours after the game's official release, signaling that the possible basis for these negative reviews were the leaked plot.

Controversies from the plot and its ending, to LGBT representation, misleading marketing strategies, the amount of violence in the game, and the idea of having a female lead surrounded the game since its release. Voice actor Laura Bailey, who played Abby, even received death threats online due to the controversial nature of her character.

Nevertheless, The Last of Us won seven of the 11 categories they were nominated in The Game Awards 2020, the most in the show's history.

It also eventually beat out games like Animal Crossing and Final Fantasy VII Remake for Game of the Year.

Bailey also won Best Performance for her role as Abby.

Other big winners of the night were Final Fantasy VII Remake for Best Role Playing Game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Best Family Game, Among Us for Best Multiplayer Game, and League of Legends for Best Esports Game.