As we stand here in 2026, it’s been a solid six years since Joel’s guitar strings were last brutally snapped in The Last of Us Part 2. Remember the fervent speculation? The endless forum threads dissecting every frame of the Seattle skyline, all hoping for one more piece of the puzzle? For years, the ghost of a story DLC haunted the community, a specter most vividly imagined as Tommy’s solo journey through that rain-soaked hellscape. It seemed like such a no-brainer, didn’t it? A perfect companion piece to Ellie’s Left Behind, filling in the gaps of the brother we followed but never truly played. Yet, with the arrival of The Last of Us Complete, the door on new narrative content appears to have been firmly, and perhaps finally, shut. But let’s indulge in a little ‘what if,’ shall we? What would a Tommy-centric DLC have looked like, and why does its absence still feel like a missed opportunity?

The Perfect Narrative Parallel: Seattle Through Tommy's Eyes

Imagine loading in. The screen fades up not on Ellie’s journal, but on a dimly lit room in Jackson. Tommy is scribbling a note to Maria, his resolve hardening into something dangerous. This wouldn’t be an add-on that changes the ending or adds a new chapter; it would be a narrative satellite, orbiting the main story and illuminating its shadows. The brilliance is in the existing blueprint: players already know the broad strokes of Tommy’s Seattle rampage from the evidence Ellie and Dina find.

• Day 1: The Bloody Trail. We’d play through the grisly scenes Ellie only discovered after the fact. Those WLF soldiers strung up? That would be us. The ‘code in blood’ at the East Gate? That’s our handiwork. The DLC would transform from passive discovery into active, brutal creation.

• A Lone Wolf. Unlike Ellie, who had Dina, or Abby, who had Lev, Tommy was utterly alone. This would fundamentally change the gameplay dynamic. No banter, no cooperative takedowns—just the oppressive silence of a man consumed by vengeance, punctuated by the crack of his rifle. Talk about a mood shift! Would the solitude have made the combat more tense, or just profoundly sad?

• Day 3: The Convergence. The climax wouldn’t be a new boss fight, but the tragic intersection we already know: Tommy and Jesse finding Ellie at the aquarium, the fleeting hope of reunion, and the devastating ambush at the theater. Playing it from Tommy’s perspective would cast Abby’s arrival in a completely new, arguably more terrifying, light.

Borrowing from the Best: A Resident Evil Inspiration

Now, here’s where the fun really starts. This hypothetical DLC wouldn’t just be Left Behind 2.0. It could have taken a page from another iconic franchise. Think about Resident Evil 4’s ‘Separate Ways,’ which let players experience Ada Wong’s parallel story. Tommy’s journey is the Last of Us equivalent! Even better, consider Resident Evil 3 (the original, of course), which showed us the Raccoon City Police Department’s downfall before Leon got there. A Tommy DLC would serve the same purpose: showing us the carnage in Seattle before Ellie walks into it. It’s a proven, effective formula for expanding a world without breaking its story.

The Blueprint Was Already There: No Return's Tommy

This is the kicker, the detail that makes the dream feel so tangible. Naughty Dog already did the hard part! In The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s No Return roguelike mode, Tommy is a fully playable character. They gave him a unique playstyle:

Feature	Description	How It Would Translate to Story DLC
Moveset	Uses Abby's animations—powerful, grounded.	Perfect for a brawler-style, close-quarters combat in WLF strongholds.
Dodge Mechanic	Cannot dodge. A huge, intentional limitation.	Forces a tactical, cover-based, sniper-centric approach. High risk, high reward.
Signature Traits	Marksman skills, stability, and rifle proficiency.	Defines his upgrade tree. Find supplements to improve scope sway, reload speed, and hold breath.

They built a functional, unique Tommy for a combat mode. The assets, the mechanics, the feel—they exist in the game’s code right now. Adapting that framework into a few hours of curated, story-driven levels feels less like a monumental task and more like a natural extension. So why wasn't it done? 🤔

The Final Verdict: A Eulogy for a DLC That Never Was

The announcement of The Last of Us Complete feels like a full stop. It packages Parts 1 and 2 (with all their existing modes) as the definitive, closed package. The message seems clear: the story, as Naughty Dog wants to tell it, is complete. A Tommy DLC, while a fantastic fan dream, likely doesn't fit into that final vision.

Is it a shame? Absolutely. It would have been a compelling, gritty, and emotionally resonant piece that deepened our understanding of vengeance's cost from another angle. It would have been a love letter to the fans who obsessed over every environmental clue. But perhaps, in a way, the mystery is part of the magic. We fill in the blanks with our imagination, making Tommy’s journey our own.

For now, playing as Tommy in No Return is the only official outlet. You can set up in a sniper's perch, take down waves of infected, and maybe, just for a moment, pretend you're carving that path through Seattle for Maria, for Joel, and for a broken promise. It’s not the story DLC we dreamed of, but it’s a poignant reminder of what could have been—a final, playable ghost in the machine of a masterpiece. 🎮✨