A cut mechanic for surrendering enemies was discovered in The Last of Us Part II—a modder is trying to bring it back

The modding community discovered a curious detail in the TLoU Part II files. An enthusiast named Speclizer discovered that Naughty Dog had originally planned a more in-depth mechanic for interacting with enemies, but it never made it into the final version.

This involved a system for forcing enemies to surrender. Early in development, Ellie could sneak up behind an enemy, force them to raise their hands, and then effectively control their actions, setting their direction and position relative to Ellie. Over time, this captive would become nervous and might try to break free or grab a weapon, making the situation tense and unpredictable.

Although the idea was abandoned, the developers didn't remove all related elements. Animations and scripts confirming the mechanic's existence remain in the game. This is what inspired Speclizer to restore it. He says the work ahead will be complex and will require significant refinement, but the technical foundation for reinstating the feature is already in place. The upcoming mod will only be available for the PC version of the game, as the PS5 edition does not support custom mods.