We’ll see what happens but I believe TV audiences will handle Joel’s death better than gamers did. They are more used to it, especially on HBO. Also narratively it makes sense that he would have to pay for his actions in the hospital.

Some gamers thought they were getting another main character like Nathan Drake with Joel for who would be around for many games to come. That’s typically what happens in the industry. Stick to the formula that works. Naughty Dog decided to swerve and do something totally different and it left some gamers so shook they wouldn’t even play it. Leaks made that even worse too. :/

But anyone who says there’s no Joel anymore clearly didn’t actually play the second game. Pedro is not gonna be out of a job. Some of the best Joel moments are in it!