Naughty Dog Reportedly Has a Major Franchise Comeback Planned With New Uncharted Game

Naughty Dog appears to have a much bigger future planned than its upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, with new reports pointing toward the return of two of its biggest PlayStation franchises. According to a recent report, the studio is developing an entirely new Uncharted game that is separate from the remake rumors that have circulated for years. 

At the same time, Naughty Dog has officially confirmed that it has two early-stage projects connected to The Last of Us, while another report claims The Last of Us Part 3 is also part of the studio's future plans. This suggests the franchise could remain an important part of Naughty Dog's plans even as the studio prepares to explore new creative directions.

The possibility of Naughty Dog returning to both franchises is significant because the studio has spent much of the past several years pursuing different paths.

The Last of Us Part II was one of the most divisive releases in the company's history, while its long-running multiplayer project was eventually canceled after years of development. Intergalactic represents an entirely new IP for the studio, but the reaction surrounding its reveal has also been mixed. 

With Uncharted and The Last of Us reportedly becoming part of its future lineup again, Naughty Dog could be preparing several major single-player experiences that will keep its biggest franchises active for years. The studio would therefore have multiple established series to develop alongside its new IP, giving players more insight into what its long-term plans might look like.

The biggest surprise is reportedly the new Uncharted project. MP1st claims that Naughty Dog is working on an entirely new entry rather than another remake, remaster, or collection. The report says the game is expected to be one of the studio's major projects following Intergalactic, although Naughty Dog has not officially announced the title. 

Uncharted 4 still stands out for its technical presentation, even years after its original release. Its animations, environments, physics, destruction, cinematography, performances, and large-scale set pieces remain among the strongest elements of the series. 

A new game built with modern hardware and another decade of experience could give Naughty Dog plenty of room to expand those systems without abandoning what made the franchise recognizable. The studio could push its environments, traversal, combat, physics, and cinematic sequences further while maintaining the adventure-focused structure that defined the previous games.

The person reportedly leading the project also has a direct connection to the series.

Shaunes Cage is said to be directing the new Uncharted game, having previously worked as creative director and writer on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. That experience is notable because The Lost Legacy demonstrated that Naughty Dog could expand the franchise beyond Nathan Drake while still maintaining the tone and gameplay associated with Uncharted.

There is also an older piece of information that has become more interesting following the new report. In February, Cage reportedly posted an image showing what appeared to be Fort George in Trinidad and Tobago with the word "research." On its own, that did not confirm anything about a future game, since developers research locations for many different reasons. 

However, with Cage now reportedly attached to a new Uncharted project, the post has naturally drawn more attention. It still does not confirm that Trinidad and Tobago will appear in the game, but it could provide a possible clue about the type of locations Naughty Dog has been studying.

Nathan Drake may also have some involvement in the new game, according to the report. The sources reportedly could not determine exactly what his role would be, meaning he could potentially be playable, appear as a major supporting character, or simply be part of a story that introduces a new protagonist. 

This would allow Naughty Dog to bring Nathan back without necessarily undoing the conclusion of Uncharted 4, where he finally stepped away from treasure hunting and settled into family life with Elena and their daughter, Cassie. A supporting role could let the studio acknowledge his history while allowing a new character to take the lead in the next adventure.

That ending provides Naughty Dog several options if Nathan does return.

The studio could keep him involved without making him the central playable character, allowing another character to take the lead while Nathan contributes to the story. The Lost Legacy already established that Uncharted could work without Nathan as the primary protagonist, so the franchise does not necessarily need to completely reverse the direction of its previous ending.

Beyond the characters, a new Uncharted game could take advantage of modern hardware to make the series' environments significantly more expansive. Larger areas, improved enemy AI, more dynamic combat, environmental destruction, detailed cities, lost civilizations, enhanced climbing, and deeper exploration could all build on systems Naughty Dog has already developed.

The Last of Us also appears to have a significant future at Naughty Dog. Neil Druckmann has officially confirmed that the studio has two projects in their early stages that will expand The Last of Us canon beyond the first two games. That confirmation is separate from the report about The Last of Us Part 3, which means the existence of the two projects does not automatically confirm that Part 3 is one of them. 

Druckmann has previously indicated that the studio would only return to The Last of Us if it had a meaningful story to tell. He has now described the projects as exciting and said they will expand the canon beyond the first two games. That leaves plenty of possibilities for what Naughty Dog could be developing, including projects that focus on different characters, locations, or periods within the universe.

The future of The Last of Us is particularly interesting because Part II generated an extremely divided response among players despite its strong commercial and critical performance. Its story and character decisions became major points of discussion, while its gameplay received widespread attention for its animation, enemy behavior, environmental interactions, and combat systems. 

The studio's recent history makes these reports even more notable.

Naughty Dog spent years working on The Last of Us multiplayer project before ultimately canceling it, while the company also released remasters and remakes of its existing games. The HBO adaptation of The Last of Us brought the franchise to an even wider audience, but fans have continued waiting for information about what comes next for the games themselves.

A return to Uncharted and continued development within The Last of Us universe would give Naughty Dog a very different lineup from what it appeared to be building a few years ago. Instead of focusing primarily on remasters, adaptations, multiplayer development, and a new IP, the studio could eventually have several major single-player projects moving through development at different stages.

For Uncharted, the long gap since Uncharted 4 makes a new adventure particularly interesting. Naughty Dog would have the opportunity to introduce an entirely new treasure hunt, explore locations that have never appeared in the series, and build a larger mystery around its characters. 

None of these reported projects should be treated as officially confirmed announcements yet. 

Naughty Dog has not formally revealed the new Uncharted game described by MP1st, and The Last of Us Part 3 remains reported information rather than an announced title. The studio has, however, confirmed that two early-stage projects will expand The Last of Us canon, giving fans an official indication that the franchise is still part of its long-term plans.

If these reports eventually prove accurate, Naughty Dog could have a substantial single-player lineup ahead. Intergalactic is already positioned as the studio's next major new direction, while Uncharted could return with a completely new adventure and The Last of Us could continue through multiple projects. After years of uncertainty surrounding the studio's biggest franchises, that would represent a significant change in direction for one of PlayStation's most prominent developers.