How Last Of Us 2's Title Screen Changes Post-Credits & What It Means
Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for The Last Of Us Part 2.
Players who make it past The Last of Us Part 2's brutal conclusion are rewarded with a post-game title screen change. The new start menu scene depicts a boat (similar to the original title screen's) beached in a brighter environment, with a mysterious building in the distance. While the game's lack of a full post-credits scene may seem disappointing, The Last of Us 2's title menu change explains the fate of two of its main characters, Abby and Lev.
In The Last of Us 2's ending, Ellie inadvertently saves Abby from her crucifixion-like death at the hands of the Rattler gang. The two duke it out in a bloody duel in the shallows near a foggy shore - where the game's original title screen is set - only for Ellie to side with mercy and let Abby and Lev go. As Ellie sobs in the water, Abby flees with Lev in one of the nearby motorboats.
Following the fight, players get to see more of Ellie in a playable section and a flashback, but Abby and Lev aren't seen again. Without a Last of Us 2 after-credits scene, the characters' stories seem unresolved, but the post-game menu change actually shows what happened to them.
At first, The Last of Us 2's new start menu background may just seem like a nod to the game's promise of peace at the end of the story, as its bright setting and firmly beached boat are much less ominous than the original scene. On closer inspection, the shot includes an important detail: a large building peeking out between the cliffs. This is the Catalina Casino, a real-life building in Avalon, California, on Santa Catalina Island (via Wikipedia). More than just a random Easter egg, this is the "large domed building in Avalon" Abby learned was the Fireflies' new base shortly before she was captured.
Whether it's a set-up for The Last of Us 3 or simply a subtle way to conclude The Last of Us 2's story, the changed title screen implies Abby and Lev reached the Fireflies' home base on Catalina Island. While it's not a comprehensive look at what happened to them, it's still a satisfying conclusion for The Last of Us 2's surprise second protagonist, as her fate was previously left as a mystery by players' final in-game moments.
The Last Of Us Part 2 released for PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2020.