The Last of Us: Naughty Dog shares free PS5 Welcome Hub background and plans TLOU Day 2026 for September 28

What happened

On September 26, 2026, Naughty Dog posted a message announcing a The Last of Us background for the PlayStation Welcome Hub. According to the official text, this is the first time a The Last of Us theme has been added to the Welcome Hub, and players can download the item through their PlayStation account. In Naughty Dog’s post, the studio also calls it a “fun surprise” for today, while at the same time pointing to a #TLOUDay celebration on Monday.

The studio is tying the release to two moments: the background becoming available immediately on September 26, 2026, and the larger The Last of Us Day plans on Monday, September 28, 2026. Naughty Dog says new announcements will follow on that Monday, but the available source does not specify what those announcements will be. The source does confirm that players need to log in to their PlayStation account to download the background.

IGN describes the background as featuring Ellie from both main games, with a younger and an older version shown in the image. That makes the background a nod to the two key chapters of the series, The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2. The provided information does not say whether the background differs by region or account, only that it is available through the PlayStation Welcome Hub. The source also does not confirm whether the background is animated in all cases, so the safest wording is that it is a The Last of Us theme for the Welcome Hub that can be downloaded via PlayStation.

Background

The Last of Us Day is the annual franchise celebration for The Last of Us and lines up with the date associated in the series with the Cordyceps outbreak. In the available sources, that connection is used as context for the yearly celebration, but they do not explain exactly what Naughty Dog will announce on September 28, 2026. The source only confirms that the studio has marked Monday as the moment for new information.

The available information also shows that Naughty Dog is presenting the Welcome Hub background as the first The Last of Us addition to that PS5 environment. That makes the release notable within the PlayStation interface, but the source mentions no extra content, no price, and no separate download package outside a PlayStation account. Naughty Dog’s post explicitly refers to logging in with a PlayStation account as the step needed to get the background.

IGN also says the background brings together Ellie from both main games, linking the younger and older versions of the character. That ties the background to the two main entries in the series without confirming any new gameplay, remaster, or other product announcement. The available source does say more news is coming on Monday, but leaves open whether that news will involve a collaboration, a partnership, or something else. Those details remain unspecified in the provided information.