'The Last of Us 2' release date news: Violent trailer divides viewers, leads to theories and speculations

Screenshot from "The Last of Us II" trailerPlayStation's YouTube Channel

The second trailer for "The Last of Us Part II" has been met with mixed reactions due to its controversial content.

After being released on Oct. 30, there were fans screaming in anticipation over how action-packed the trailer looked. On the other hand, many condemned the graphic violence portrayed the almost five-minute-long sneak peek of what is to come.

The first trailer for "The Last of Us Part II" was released nearly a year ago in December. Since then, developer Naughty Dog has been tight-lipped about the upcoming sequel.

The first trailer prominently featured "The Last of Us" deuteragonist Ellie and revealed that she would now be the second game's protagonist, but it wasn't until the second trailer that fans got a larger glimpse of the world that "The Last of Us Part II" will be set in.

Joel and Ellie are nowhere to be seen in this brand-new trailer. Instead, it focuses on a group of hooded people and three women caught in a bloody battle for their lives.

The trailer starts with the two women in captivity. The first woman has her arm broken with a hammer. The second woman is strung up a tree by her neck. They are rescued by a bow-toting woman towards the end and the trailer comes to a close with the three of them escaping.

Ever since this trailer's release, fans have taken to the internet to speculate. Who are these brand-new characters? Are they a new order of villains? Naughty Dog has revealed the names of the newest characters, all except for the woman who was about to be hanged.

The mystery surrounding this character has led fans to ask even more questions, with one of the most prominent theories being that this woman is Ellie's mother. Another speculation is that fans will not only play through the present timeline as Ellie, but they will also be playing through past scenarios as her mother.

At this point in time, all of this is mere guessing, and fans will have to wait until Naughty Dog shells out more information.

"The Last of Us Part II" has no official release date yet.