The Last of Us 2can’t seem to catch a break as Naughty Dog continues to be called out for mistakes both perceived and real. The latest in this series of unfortunate events is thestudio’s use of a cover of New Order’s “True Faith,“which it used without giving credit to the original cover artist.
If the situation sounds confusing, that’s because it is to an extent. Lotte Kestner covered New Order’s “True Faith” for her album titled Stolen which released in 2011. WhenThe Last of Us 2aired its TV spot trailer featuring Ellie singing an acoustic rendition of the song, it didn’t take long for Kestner to realize it was nearly an exact replica of her own cover.
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Kestner called out the studio immediately, claiming that she was heartbroken that her work was used without any credit whatsoever. NowNeil Druckmann,The Last of Us 2’s creative director, has come out with an apology and admitted that the song was inspired by Kestner’s take on it.
Druckmann’s response gives praise to Kestner for her musicianship, calling the cover haunting, and continues to explain that the lack of credit was an unintentional oversight. Naughty Dog is now fixing the issue, and the openness of its apology has convinced Kestner to change her tone. Rather than being heartbroken and angry, she now shows pride that her music is being used in agame as momentous asThe Last of Us 2, so it seems as though this story has a happy ending.
While it is always a good idea to credit other people’s work, there is something to be said for the legality of being required to do so. Kestner’s claim was about a cover, which she borrowed from another musician.Naughty Dog undoubtedly got the license for the musicfrom New Order’s publisher, so many have asked if Kestner really has any grounds to speak out. She does because her cover added original melodies to the song which weren’t present in New Order’s version, and Naughty Dog using these original melodies is an infringement of copyright.
Nonetheless, Naughty Dog did the right move here, apologizing and giving Kestner credit. This should help the studio to avoid any more unnecessary drama before the game releases later this month, something that the studio desperately needs right now.The Last of Us 2is both the most anticipated and controversial game of the year, but fans will need to make their own judgements once it’s in their hands.
The Last of Us 2releases on June 19th exclusively for PS4.
