The Last of Us fans can give their PlayStation 5 dashboard a little more Cordyceps-era atmosphere ahead of the larger The Last of Us Day 2026 celebration. Naughty Dog has made a free animated background available through the PS5's Welcome Hub, featuring Ellie at different stages of her story from the two mainline games.
The new option arrives on September 26, the date recognized by the franchise as the anniversary of its fictional Cordyceps outbreak. However, the studio's bigger plans are scheduled for Monday, September 28. Naughty Dog has indicated that fans can expect a partnership announcement, a collaboration, digital surprises, and additional news, alongside a No Return charity stream on Twitch.
That makes the Welcome Hub addition a small but timely piece of the celebration. It is not a return to the fully customizable dynamic themes that PlayStation fans have requested for years, but it gives PS5 owners a franchise-specific visual option while the community waits to learn what else is planned.
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How to set The Last of Us background on PS5
Accessing the new background does not require a separate download. Players can find it directly through the PS5 interface by opening the Welcome Hub, selecting Change Background near the top of the screen, and then choosing the The Last of Us entry under the Games tab.
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The animated art includes younger and older depictions of Ellie, evoking her journey across The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II. Its arrival is a simple dashboard customization feature rather than a game update or a newly announced product, but it gives the annual franchise celebration an immediate in-console component.
The distinction is worth making because PlayStation's present Welcome Hub backgrounds are not the same thing as the old PS4-era theme system. Dynamic themes could change a console's wider visual presentation, often including custom audio, icons, and menu styling. The new Last of Us selection is more limited in scope, focused on the Welcome Hub landing area. Still, for a series with such recognizable visual language, an animated Ellie background may be enough to make the console's opening screen feel distinctly different.
September 28 will bring the main The Last of Us Day news
Naughty Dog is holding the more substantial portion of its 2026 celebration until September 28. The studio has specifically pointed to several categories of announcements: a partnership, what it describes as a particularly cool collaboration, digital surprises, and more. Those details leave considerable room for speculation, but the wording does establish that fans should not treat the PS5 background as the entire event.
A No Return charity stream is also part of the scheduled activity. No Return is the roguelike survival mode introduced in The Last of Us Part II Remastered, built around repeat runs, randomized elements, selectable characters, and escalating encounters. Featuring it in a charity broadcast is a natural fit: the mode is designed for replayability and produces the kind of unpredictable runs that work well in a live format.
For now, it is important to separate what has been promised from what fans may hope to see. The studio has not confirmed a new mainline game announcement for the September 28 presentation. It has not said that The Last of Us Part III will appear, nor has Sony formally announced that title. The stated plans currently center on partnerships, collaboration, digital material, and the charity stream.
That has not stopped interest in a potential next chapter from remaining high. The ending of The Last of Us Part II left players with major questions about Ellie, Abby, Lev, and the future direction of the series. Earlier comments from Neil Druckmann in March fueled fresh discussion around the possibility of another Ellie-focused story. Yet discussion and confirmation are not the same thing, and nothing announced for The Last of Us Day 2026 guarantees a Part III reveal.
A franchise active across games and television
The timing of the annual celebration reflects how broad The Last of Us has become. What began as Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic PlayStation series is now a major cross-media property, with remasters, a standalone multiplayer-flavored survival mode, PC releases, and HBO's television adaptation all contributing to its ongoing profile.
The games remain the foundation. The original title established Joel and Ellie's dangerous journey across a United States reshaped by the Cordyceps infection, while its sequel expanded the narrative's perspective and explored the aftermath of violence with a more ambitious, often divisive structure. The franchise has also received repeated technical updates and rereleases, including The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II Remastered.
On PC, The Last of Us Part I broadened access to the original story beyond PlayStation hardware. Meanwhile, the PS5 version of Part II Remastered added No Return and other presentation features that helped make the game's return feel more substantial than a straightforward graphical refresh. The charity stream's focus on No Return consequently ties the upcoming celebration directly to one of the series' newest playable additions.
At the same time, Naughty Dog continues work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. With that new project in development, the studio's future is not exclusively tied to The Last of Us. That context is another reason expectations should remain measured around September 28. The Last of Us Day has historically been an occasion for franchise-related updates and community activity, but it is not automatically a venue for revealing the next major game.
New casting news for HBO's third season
The Last of Us Day activity also lands alongside casting updates for HBO's The Last of Us Season 3. John Goodman, Laura Bailey, and Ian Alexander have joined or returned to the adaptation in newly disclosed roles.
Goodman is a newcomer to the television series and will play a new character named Joey. His involvement adds another notable performer to a cast that has already drawn extensively from respected film, television, and game talent.
Bailey has a particularly significant connection to the property. She performed as Abby in The Last of Us Part II and also appeared in the first television season as a nurse. For Season 3, Bailey is set to play Elizabeth, described as a Seraphite leader. That role places her within one of the sequel's most important factions and offers a different on-screen contribution from her celebrated game performance.
Alexander previously played Lev in The Last of Us Part II and will also be part of the third season, though the character's name has not yet been revealed. Lev's role in the game is central to Abby's storyline and to the larger conflict involving the Seraphites, so Alexander's return naturally invites questions about how the show will adapt, reinterpret, or expand events and characters from the game.
The casting announcements do not reveal exactly how Season 3 will structure its story. They do, however, underline the continuing overlap between the game franchise and its adaptation. The show has already demonstrated a willingness to preserve key character foundations while making targeted changes for television, and the newly revealed roles suggest that process will continue.
A modest PS5 update, with bigger questions still ahead
For the moment, the free PS5 background is the one piece of The Last of Us Day 2026 content that players can use immediately. It is a low-stakes addition, but it arrives at a moment when fans are watching closely for any indication of where the series heads next.
September 28 should answer at least some of those questions, particularly around the promised partnership and collaboration. Digital bonuses may also offer something for players who simply want to take part in the celebration without waiting for a new game. The No Return charity stream, meanwhile, should provide a focused event for viewers interested in the gameplay side of the franchise.
Until then, PS5 owners can set the animated Welcome Hub artwork and wait for the next round of announcements. The Last of Us remains active in multiple forms, from console and PC releases to HBO's expanding cast, but its biggest unanswered question remains the same: when, and in what form, Naughty Dog might return to the series with its next game.
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