Naughty Dog has released a free background on PlayStation 5 as it prepares to celebrate The Last of Us Day 2026.
The studio behind Sony’s exclusive post-apocalyptic video game franchise took to social media to tease some of what it has planned for this year’s festivities. While September 26 is technically the day it’s chosen to serve as its Cordyceps-breakout holiday, Naughty Dog won’t share any The Last of Us announcements with fans until Monday the 28th, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to fawn over today.
PS5 owners can now head to their consoles to download a special The Last of Us-themed background for PlayStation’s Welcome Hub landing page. It’s a free option featuring both the younger and older versions of Ellie from both mainline games, with no download required to enjoy it. Although it’s far from the kind of dynamic themes or wallpapers fans have begged Sony to bring back, the animated background does add some flavor for fans still hoping to see the series get a proper return in games.
We’ll be celebrating #TLOUDay on Monday, but we do have a fun surprise for you today. 🧡🩵
For the first time ever, a The Last of Us-themed background is being added to the PlayStation Welcome Hub. Log in to your PlayStation account and download it to see how our team has… pic.twitter.com/aK6F85FM2I
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) September 26, 2026
Those who want to spice up their PS5 backgrounds need only to navigate to the Welcome Hub, select the Change Background button in the top corner of the screen, and then select The Last of Us background in the Games tab. It’s nothing much, but we’ll only have to wait a few more days to hear more about The Last of Us Day celebration.
In a separate post, Naughty Dog promised September 28 will bring even more reveals for the franchise. While it doesn’t sound like something like The Last of Us Part 3 will be discussed, the team did promise to share a “partnership announcement, a very cool collaboration, digital surprises, and more.” There will also be a No Return charity stream on Twitch.
Another surprise announced today was the news that The Last of Us Season 3 on HBO has picked up some new and familiar faces: John Goodman, Laura Bailey, and Ian Alexander. Goodman, a series newcomer and award-winning actor, will play a new character named Joey. Bailey, who played Abby in The Last of Us Part 2 and a nurse in The Last of Us Season 1, will play a Seraphite leader named Elizabeth, while Alexander will play a currently unnamed character after first appearing as Lev in the second game.
We’ll have to wait to see what Naughty Dog has planned for The Last of Us Day 2026. While Sony has yet to confirm a The Last of Us Part 3 as work on its Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet continues, fans are hoping an announcement will arrive sooner rather than later. One comment from creator Neil Druckmann sparked theories about a third chapter in Ellie’s story in March of this year.
Michael Cripe
Freelance Writer
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
