
The Last of Us S2
After a global fungus pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity’s last hope.
In Season 2 of The Last of Us, the story picks up five years later, as Joel and Ellie face the weight of their shared past—pulling them into a conflict with each other and a world that's even more dangerous and unpredictable than before.
2025
ILP contributed to the second season of The Last of Us with visual effects in two episodes, focusing on creature and water work.
In Episode 202, we were tasked with burning the Bloater as Tommy continuously hits him with a flamethrower as he is getting chased through the streets and alleys of Jackson.
Visually, it was important to show the Bloater becoming progressively more damaged over the course of the sequence.
We developed three hero asset stages, using the undamaged version from Wētā FX as our base. These various stages were used to drive different types of skin interaction FX.
During the early stages, the moisture in the Bloater’s skin begins to heat up, creating a sizzling-like effect. As the sequence progresses, the cordyceps plates start to char and the softer tissue begins to dry up and eventually tear open. These effects were driven by a heat value based on the duration of exposure to the flamethrower. We referenced the behavior of meat and vegetables under heat and fire to inform the look and progression of the burn.
In Episode 207, we handled a stormy water sequence in which a large swell interferes with Ellie’s attempt to reach the Aquarium. The work combined live-action plates with full CG shots, particularly for the wider views, which featured a digital double and CG boat. The water surface was created using ILP's proprietary ocean tools, then using that as a base we simulated the interaction from the boat as well as secondary elements like whitewater and blowoffs.
Official Trailer
Project credits
VFX Supervisor: Philip Engström
Producer: Emma Cummins
Production Manager: Jana Messarosch
Production Coordinator: Nickoel Izharudin, Eniko Bara, Helena Almeida
CG Supervisor: Axel Akesson
Anim Supervisor: Kristian Ström
Comp Supervisor: Mattias Sandelius, Viktor Andersson
FX Supervisor: Charles Guerton
Light Supervisor: Andrej Blom, Patrik Finn
Prep Supervisor: Biljana Temelkova
Track Supervisor: Niklas Wånggren
Editorial: Bradley Jordan
Artists:
Adrian Tsang
Andreas Hansen
Anton Stattin
Basilisa Cánovas Rubio
David Allan
Elliot Thomasson
Elliott Broutin
Fredrik Larsson
Fredrik Lönn
Giles Hicks
Gustav Ahren
Jannes Kreyenberg
Jens Schneider
Julien Chery
Karim Eich
Kim Lindqvist
Konstantinos Panagiotopoulos
Loka Vegborn
Ludwig Ek
Markus Oswald
Martin Joas
Melina Tancheva Cvetanoska
Mikel Zuloaga
Mirco Paolini
Nicklas Andersson
Niklas Wallén
Nora Hänsenberger
Pablo Gimenez Pizarro
Pål Hoem Sletsjøe
Patrik Wedinger
Peter Marin
Petter Gustafson
Pétur Stingur Arnórsson
Robert Reinschedl
Simon Decombel
Stanislas Vincent
Tamás Molnár
Valentin Soulard
Valter Svenstedt