I just spent the coolest afternoon ever at PlayStation's epic The Last of Us pop-up

A shot of an art pop up showing a model of a clicker from The Last of Us on a sofa covered in fungus with The Last of Us logo to the side
(Image credit: Abi Le Guilcher)

PlayStation is no stranger to ingenious marketing. I recently wrote about the stunning Live from PS5 campaign that has taken the gaming world by storm, which has seen a multitude of giant props and art installations from the world of PlayStation popping up all over the globe – from a giant console in Dubai to a 10-foot axe lodged into the streets of London. And the recent release of the HBO adaption of The Last of Us has just inspired yet another epic stunt.

Today, I got an exclusive look at the latest pop-up, in which a poor gamer succumbed to the dreaded cordyceps infection just as they were playing The Last of Us. (Terrible luck – I hope they at least got a decent PS5 deal).

A shot of a clicker model from The Last of Us on a sofa overgrown with fungus

The event design was spot on (Image credit: Abi Le Guilcher)

Located in Shoreditch, London, the pop-up takes place in the ruined remains of the gamer's bedroom. The room is littered with fungal growths, wrecked TVs – and even an overgrown PS5 console (although the console still seems to be working so it must be miraculously apocalypse proof).

Moss hangs from the ceiling and the distant cries of a clicker echo in the background, adding to the intense atmosphere. The design is incredibly detailed, with snaking tendrils of fungus that pulsate steadily and streams of smoke spitting out from the dilapidated ruins. It's pretty gross to look at, but you can't deny just how cool the whole set up is. See the pictures below.

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PlayStation announced the event in the below tweet, which urges passers-by to be cautious around the quarantine zone and to beware of the gamer, as well as giving details of where and when you can catch the pop-up. 

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In my last article, I mentioned that I wanted to see a giant DualSense Edge controller as one of the next statues. I still hope that will happen, but I'm not complaining about getting to hang out with a clicker for the afternoon (and, of course, I dressed up for the occasion – though this is optional). 

A photo of an individual dressed as Ellie from the Last of Us against an overgrown background

(Image credit: Abi Le Guilcher)

The pop up is located at BOXPARK in Shoreditch, London, and will be open to the public to visit until March 21, open from 11am-7pm. 

Want more PlayStation news? You'll be excited to know that  it's (almost) official: Sony's PS5 Pro is (probably) coming soon.

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Abi Le Guilcher
Ecommerce Writer

Abi Le Guilcher is Creative Bloq’s Ecommerce Writer. With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Design for Game and Film, Abi enjoys almost anything creative and will either be found crafting or gaming in her spare time. Her previous experience as a retail assistant at CeX means she has a wide range of knowledge in both technology and media and loves to keep up to date with the latest tech. Abi is an avid cosplayer and has most recently worked with PlayStation and Santa Monica Studio on a promotional campaign for the release of God of War Ragnarök.