'The Last of Us Part 2' release date, news: More details expected in DICE 2018 with game director serving as guest speaker

Promotional photo for upcoming video game "The Last of Us: Part II"Facebook.com/naughtydog

This year's DICE will be another opportunity for gaming experts to gather and learn more about their field. While the event, organized by thr Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), will serve as a platform for the veterans to teach the beginners about the world of gaming, there is also a chance for the participants to spill fresh details about their upcoming projects. Interestingly, AIAS revealed this week that "The Last of Us Part 2" game director Neil Druckmann will be a guest speaker in DICE 2018.

As reported by Polygon, Druckmann will be a part of a special panel at DICE 2018 where he is expected to talk about writing an interesting storyline in games. The particular panel in which "The Last of Us 2" creative director will take part of is called "Crafting Narratives for Video Games, Film, and Television." Aside from giving a brief lecture about video game storytelling, Druckmann will also tackle about the interactive and non-interactive mediums in gaming, as well as the challenges that they present to the creators.

Aside from "The Last of Us 2 Part 2," which is currently under development, Druckmann is also the person behind the first "The Last of Us" title and "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," thus making him a more credible speaker at this year's DICE. Druckmann will be joined in the panel by another special guest speaker, Dan Trachtenberg. He is known as the director and writer of the 2016 sci-fi thriller film "10 Cloverfield Lane." Meanwhile, Microsoft gaming deparment executive Phil Spencer will serve as the over-all keynote speaker of DICE 2018.

It is not certain if Druckmann will get the chance to talk more about "The Last of Us Part 2," given that his role in DICE 2018 will be more of a mentor instead of someone promoting an upcoming project. For now, the only confirmed details regarding the sequel is that the game will pick up five years after the events of the original. This time, the game's female lead, Ellie, is now a grown-up teen. Joel will also make an appearance in the sequel as he will continue to watch over Ellie. Based on the first trailer presented at the PlayStation Experience (PSX) 2016, Ellie is holding a grudge against an unnamed group," to which she promised "to kill every last one of them."

"The Last of Us Part 2" is rumored to be out by 2019.