This article does not contain spoilers for “The Last of Us Part II,” but some plot points of the first game are discussed.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard that The Last of Us Part II has been leaked, reportedly by a disgruntled employee. While developer Naughty Dog’s crunch culture is certainly an issue worthy of discussion, it generally seems to be agreed that this is not an ideal situation for anyone involved, whether that be the fans or the developers.

Naughty Dog broke their silence on the situation with a tweet regarding spoilers, encouraging users to wait for the final experience. Directors Neil Druckmann and Kurt Margenau echoed similar sentiments.

A message from the studio: pic.twitter.com/f0TzIZXUIB — Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 27, 2020

Heartbroken for the team. Heartbroken for our fans. We’re still incredibly excited to get the game into your hands. ❤️ https://t.co/QWKLU6I6Q3 — Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) April 27, 2020

Endure and Survive. And Mute. https://t.co/ymfT3SGzAJ — Kurt Margenau (@kurtmargenau) April 27, 2020

Like many over the past few days, I’ve involuntarily come upon spoilers that would appear to be quite significant. As a fan of the first game, it was initially quite upsetting to have something that you’ve been waiting years for seemingly ruined in one go. This, combined with the extremely polarizing reception of the actual content that was leaked created a perfect storm of controversy around the game.

However, I’d argue that…none of this actually matters. Consider the moments that people treasure the most from The Last of Us. The giraffe encounter. Horseback riding with Joel through snowy roads in silence. These are some of the most meaningful moments in the game, yet describing or showing them to someone who’s never played the game before without context wouldn’t make much sense. To be sure, there were bombastic action sequences, dramatic cliffhangers, and sprawling set pieces, but what set the game apart was the quiet moments.

Looking at all the leaked cutscenes and plot points might give you a good idea of the story of the game, and might ruin some surprises. But much of the enjoyment of Naughty Dog’s titles comes from a deep connection with the world of the game and the people in it, something that doesn’t really come across without actually playing through the full experience and allowing yourself to be immersed in it. A barrage of leaked major plot points isn’t really effective in this way.

There’s no guarantee Part II will be a bona fide masterpiece like the first game, the only way to ascertain that will of course be to play it and form your own opinions (and you can be sure that we’ll be covering it.) But however the game ends up turning out—I wouldn’t write it off yet.