Naughty Dog is set to make The Last of Us Part II even more challenging thanks to a new Grounded setting and Permadeath mode.

  • Patch 1.03 is heading to The Last of Us Part II.
  • The update introduces two new DLC trophies Dig Two Graves and You Cant Stop This.
  • The trophies reward players for completing the game on a new Grounded difficulty setting and Permadeath mode.

The Last of Us Part II easily stands as one of the most accessible games around. Thanks to a slew of options, players can fine-tune the game to make it as easy or as challenging as desired.
It looks like developer Naughty Dog is now catering to those that favor a more punishing experience by introducing a new difficulty setting and a new mode.
According to trophy-lovers PowerPyx, The Last of Us Part II is set to feature two new DLC trophy achievements categorized under Grounded Mode as part of an upcoming Patch 1.03 update.
Patch 1.03 to make The Last of Us Part II a whole lot more challenging. | Source: Twitter
The first, dubbed Dig Two Graves, requires players to complete the game on Grounded difficulty, the very same devilishly challenging DLC-introduced mode found in the original The Last of Us, which ups enemy damage, fields smarter AI, and drastically reduces the availability of scavenged resources among other difficulty-upping changes.
Its unclear if Grounded Mode will offer a similar experience in The Last of Us Part II, though given Naughty Dogs penchant for testing the patience and mettle of players, wed expect it to follow the same formula.
The second trophy, called You Cant Stop This, ups the ante by introducing a permadeath mode to The Last of Us Part II. Die, and the game brutally wipes the save file. Thats it, no going back even if youve poured 20 hours into the story.
A new Grounded difficulty setting and Permadeath mode. | Source: PowerPyx/Twitter
The wording suggests this one will be a tad more forgiving as it can be obtained using any Permadeath setting, implying players may be able to play on lower difficulty settings.
For those worried the new achievements may tarnish their laboriously-obtained The Last of Us Part II Platinum trophy, fret not as they appear in a separate Grounded Mode list.
Video: The Last of Us Part 2 Has Been 2020s Most-Controversial Game Yet
Although the trophies are available for all to see on the PS4s The Last of Us Part II trophy list, the options arent available in-game, and weve yet to hear anything official from Naughty Dog. Expect a PlayStation Blog post detailing the new patch in the not too distant future.
Samburaj Das edited this article for CCN.com. If you see a breach of our Code of Ethics or find a factual, spelling, or grammar error, please contact us.