The Last of Us Part 3 Teased as Naughty Dog Confirms New Projects

You can officially stop treating The Last of Us as a finished chapter. Naughty Dog has confirmed that multiple projects set in The Last of Us universe are currently in development, although the studio is not ready to explain what those projects actually are.

Neil Druckmann, the creator behind the games, recently confirmed that Naughty Dog remains the steward of the franchise and made it clear that the studio has not moved on from The Last of Us. He said there are a couple of projects being worked on right now, adding that he is excited to discuss them when the timing is right.

That is a pretty significant statement because Druckmann has previously talked about the possibility of returning to the series.

He has mentioned having an outline for The Last of Us Part III and has suggested that the franchise still has somewhere to go. This time, though, he is talking about actual projects currently being developed rather than simply an idea for the future.

You probably should not expect to see either project anytime soon. Naughty Dog is currently focused heavily on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, its next major game, and a full The Last of Us Part III would likely require the same core team.

Still, the studio has multiple internal teams, so there is room for another group to explore something smaller or separate. That is where a spin-off becomes particularly interesting. Druckmann previously discussed the possibility of a standalone story focused on Tommy, Joel's brother.

Playing a Tommy game would definitely give you an entirely new outlook on the world, particularly since his character grew more and more complex with each passing moment in The Last of Us Part II. Tommy has a lot of potential for his own game. His backstory and relationship with Joel would be worth exploring without merely retreading Ellie's experience.

Tommy's skills as a sniper also make him an obvious candidate for a game built around a different style of combat and survival.

There is, admittedly, another possibility. These projects could involve updated versions of existing games for future PlayStation hardware. A new version of the first game or another remaster of The Last of Us Part II would hardly be shocking.

However, the way Druckmann described the future of the franchise makes it sound like there could be more substantial plans beyond simply revisiting older releases. For now, The Last of Us Part III remains unconfirmed, but its possibility feels more relevant than ever. The same goes for a potential Tommy spin-off, which has never been officially announced despite being an idea Druckmann has discussed before.

There is also the multiplayer side of the franchise. A return of The Last of Us Factions would be another exciting possibility, even if Naughty Dog chose to make it a smaller feature attached to another game rather than a huge standalone release.

The original multiplayer experience built around the first game developed a strong following, and there is still plenty of interest in seeing that concept return. Druckmann also clarified that his role with HBO's third season is considerably different from his involvement in the first two. He was deeply involved with those earlier seasons as a writer, director, and showrunner, while neither he nor Naughty Dog is creatively involved with the upcoming third season in the same way.

So, for now, the important part is simple: The Last of Us is not finished.

Naughty Dog has several projects in development, though details on what exactly they are remain under wraps for now. Whether that turns out to be The Last of Us Part III, a story centered on Tommy, another spin-off, or a multiplayer venture, the possibilities are wide open.

There is also something completely unpredictable that may come into the picture, but it is evident that there is much more for the franchise to explore. Since Naughty Dog has kept mum on its upcoming projects at the moment, whatever will follow may prove to be a great surprise from the studio.