Cheats & Secrets

Cheat Codes

The Last of Us series does not include any traditional cheat codes (e.g., invincibility, infinite ammo, level select). Neither The Last of Us Part I nor Part II Remastered features console command inputs or button sequences that unlock cheats. The developers intentionally omitted these to preserve the intended survival horror experience.

Unlock Codes

No unlock codes exist. All extra content—such as character models, concept art, and behind-the-scenes videos—is unlocked by progressing through the story, finding collectibles, or completing the game on specific difficulties. For example:

• The Last of Us Part I: Complete the game on any difficulty to unlock the Model Viewer and Concept Art gallery. Collect all optional conversations, artifacts, and Firefly pendants to unlock additional bonus content.


• The Last of Us Part II Remastered: Progress through the story to unlock character models. Finding all trading cards, artifacts, and coins unlocks supplementary media. There is no code entry system.




Hidden Features & Developer-Intended Hidden Content





Photo Mode (Both Games)



• Part I & Part II Remastered: Access via the pause menu (PS5: Touch Pad; PC: default 'P' key) when not in combat. Offers free camera, filters, depth of field, character pose adjustments, and frame removal. No unlock required.




Permadeath Mode (Part II Remastered)



• Unlocked after completing the game once. Allows playing through the entire story with permadeath per chapter, per act, or whole game. Not a cheat, but a hidden difficulty modifier intended for expert players.




Speedrun Mode (Part II Remastered)



• Unlocked after completing the game once. Adds an in-game timer visible during gameplay. Tracks overall time and per-chapter splits.




Game Modifiers (Part II Remastered)



• After beating the game, the Extras menu unlocks toggles like infinite ammo, infinite crafting, one-hit kills, slow motion, and bullet speed modifiers. These are developer-intended “cheats” that disable trophies.




Left Behind DLC (Part I)



• The standalone prequel chapter is included in The Last of Us Part I by default, but in the original releases it was a hidden unlock. Now accessible from the main menu once Part I's story is started.




Grounded Mode (Part I & Part II)



• Part I: Complete the game on Survivor difficulty to unlock Grounded mode. This ultra-hard difficulty removes the HUD, listening mode, and drastically reduces resources. It is not visible until unlocked.


• Part II Remastered: Grounded mode is available from the start, but Grounded+ requires beating the game on Grounded once.




New Game+ (Both Games)



• After completing the story once, New Game+ is available. Character upgrades, weapon upgrades, and collectibles carry over. No code needed; just select “New Game+” from the main menu.




Zombie AI Behavior Easter Egg (Part I)



• In the hotel basement encounter where you must start the generator, if you stand in the elevator shaft before the bloater appears, the AI will sometimes fail to enter the shaft, letting you shoot it safely. This is a hidden exploit related to pathfinding, though patched in later versions.




Easter Eggs





The Last of Us Part I


1. Jak and Daxter Reference: In the museum (after the university), look at the dinosaur exhibit. A Velociraptor skeleton bears a subtle ‘Naughty Dog’ logo on its base. Nearby, a stuffed Jak and Daxter plushie lies on a bench.
2. Crash Bandicoot: In Joel’s house (prologue), you can find a Crash Bandicoot toy in Sarah’s room, and later in Bill’s town, a Crash plushie is on a bed.
3. Uncharted Reference: In the sewers after the dam, Ellie will comment on a poster that resembles Uncharted’s treasure hunter, and Joel may joke about it.
4. Giraffe Dream Sequence: The famous giraffe scene in Fall is not an Easter egg per se, but a subtle narrative call-back to early concept art and promotional imagery.
5. Developer Graffiti: In the Pittsburgh suburbs, spray-painted messages like “GD” (for Game Director) appear on walls—inside jokes from the team.
6. Hidden Note in the Suburbs: A note from a survivor references “the sewer king” which alludes to a cut character or AI behavior.



The Last of Us Part II Remastered


1. Ellie’s Guitar Theme: In the prologue, Ellie hums the game’s main theme while playing guitar. If you strum a specific chord sequence (E minor, C, G, D), the game rewards you with an extra line of dialogue from Joel.
2. Abby’s Dad Reference: In the stadium base, you can find a photo of Abby’s father with a young Abby, foreshadowing major plot reveals.
3. Dina’s Necklace: Throughout the game, Dina’s necklace changes depending on the chapter—a subtle continuity Easter egg that reflects her emotional state.
4. Trading Card Homages: The in-game trading cards (Part II) feature characters inspired by Naughty Dog’s previous titles. For example, “The Firefly” card resembles Nathan Drake, and “Scarface” references Tommy from Uncharted.
5. Uncharted 4’s Pirate Ship: In the Santa Barbara area, a derelict boat bears the name “The Devil’s Pelvis,” a call-back to Uncharted 4’s pirate lore.
6. Bowling Ball Glitch: In the stadium, you can find a bowling ball that doesn’t interact with the environment normally. If you carry it to a specific alley, the game plays a short bowling sound effect—hidden developer audio.
7. Rat King in Museum: In the hospital basement where you fight the Rat King, look closely at the petri dishes in the lab; one slides off the table if you bump it, causing a scared reaction from Ellie later.
8. Fun Fact: The game’s title screen changes subtly over time—after finishing the game, the flowers in the background wilt or shift, representing Ellie’s mental state.



Exploit-Safe Secrets & Glitches



These are safe, repeatable exploits that do not corrupt saves or break progression:


• Resource Duping Glitch (Part I, PSN/PS5): At any workbench, quickly exit the upgrade menu and open it again while holding the upgrade button. Occasionally, the resource cost refunds partially. This can be done once per upgrade point.


• Infinite Shiv Door Exploit (Part I): In the subway tunnels with clickers, you can melee a door without using a shiv if you stand at a 45-degree angle and spam attack. Works on most shiv doors, but may not work on all (used for speedruns).


• Fast Item Drop (Part II Remastered): Press triangle to drop a currently equipped item, then quickly press R2 to pick it up again—doing so while under enemy fire may let you cancel stun animations. Only works in combat.

> Note: Naughty Dog patched many early exploits. Always back up saves before attempting any glitch on PC or PS5.

Unlockable Content Summary

Final Notes

While there are no classic cheat codes, The Last of Us series offers deep hidden content through difficulty unlocks and Easter eggs. The most rewarding secrets are found by exploring every corner, listening to optional conversations, and completing the game multiple times. For trophy hunters, note that using built-in modifiers like infinite ammo disables all trophies for that playthrough.