"The Last of Us: Part 2" is officially happening after months of speculations, as Naughty Dog recently announced that a sequel to the popular game will be released soon. A trailer for the sequel has been released along with the announcement, which led to countless theories and speculations.

"The Last of Us: Part 2" spoilers note on the possibility that Joel is still alive despite countless theories emerging online that Joel is already dead. Since the trailer to the sequel of the game was released, many gamers listed signs that proved that Joel has passed away.

Since "The Last of Us 2" will now be told through Ellie's point of view, there were speculations that her revenge may have something to do with Joel's death. In the trailer, Game Rant also notes that there appears to be a halo of light surrounding Joel when he enters the room, which seems to have some other meaning.

However, the publication also notes that Joel's death may reduce the significance of the events of the ending of "The Last of Us" wherein Joel lied to Ellie about the surgery. This, therefore, may be the plot in "TLOU 2."

Some users commented that Ellie may find out that she was needed for the surgery to save the human race after all. This may explain Neil Druckmann's statements about "hate" being the central theme of "The Last of Us: Part 2," reports Eurogamer.net.

During the interview, Druckmann explained that the first game was all about love between Joel and Ellie. However, in "The Last of Us: Part 2," it will be all about hate.

"This story's the counter of that," he teased.

Druckmann also shared that Joel and Ellie are important characters for Naughty Dog since the game is all about them. This seemingly squashes rumors that Joel's character has been killed off in "The Last of Us: Part 2."

Do you think Joel is dead or is he alive in "The Last of Us: Part 2?" Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!