The Last of Us Part II Leaks and Death Threats

The Last of Us Part II leaks ignited one of gaming's most toxic firestorms. In April 2020, major plot details exposing Joel's death and the game's divisive narrative structure were posted online, resulting in over 50,000 abusive messages directed at developer Naughty Dog. Voice actor Laura Bailey and director Neil Druckmann received credible death threats, forcing some to temporarily leave social media. This reaction was notably more severe than the backlash against #99 on this list, Mortal Kombat's violence controversy, which stayed focused on content rather than personal attacks—a stark contrast highlighting how fandom toxicity escalated over three decades. The incident remains a dark benchmark for online harassment in the industry.