Seattle arcade from The Last Of Us: Part 2 shuts down in real life
A big part of Seattle's video game history is gone.
Fans of The Last Of Us: Part 2 will be saddened to hear that Gameworks, a real-world location that inspired the game’s arcade section, shut down for good.
First spotted by GamesRadar, Seattle-based arcade Gameworks allegedly closed its doors on Thursday. While the company itself has yet to post an official announcement on its website or social media pages, patrons in the Seattle area claim it’s gone. The location had a good reputation among video game fans, particularly those attending the annual Penny Arcade Expo.
Since The Last Of Us: Part 2 takes place in Seattle, Naughty Dog modeled an in-game section after Gameworks. It’s right around when Ellie encounters several bloaters in a run-down arcade, which you can watch a video of here. Sure, it’s not called “Gameworks,” but that’s clearly what the location is supposed to be.
Patrons of Gameworks took to social media to share images of the locations’ last day along with fond memories of gaming events that took place there.
The location was in business for more than 25 years and is an integral part of Seattle’s video game scene. Kelsey Lewin, co-director of the Video Game History Foundation, is working with the location’s management to preserve what they can.
Quite a sad, nostalgic loss we have here.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.