The Last of Us Part 3 Development Reportedly Underway, Ellie To Return

HBO’s The Last of Us is in the midst of filming its third season, but franchise creator Neil Druckmann stepped away from his role as co-showrunner last year.

The reason behind that shift may now have become apparent.

According to a number of leakers, Naughty Dog has finally commenced development on The Last of Us Part III - and it’ll undoubtedly be helmed by Druckmann.

Part III Will Follow Intergalactic And A New Uncharted Game

It was insider Alir who first spoke out, sharing that Naughty Dog had three projects in development: Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a new Uncharted, and The Last of Us Part III.

DanielRPK then seemed to corroborate the leak, retweeting it on Twitter/X with the ‘side eye’ emoji.

Of course, such a leak should be taken with a pinch of salt until The Last of Us Part III is formally unveiled by Naughty Dog.

That being said, the game arguably feels like the industry’s worst-kept secret.

Druckmann has made several remarks about the potential project over the years, a significant one landing in the Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us Part II documentary.

“For years now, I haven't been able to find that concept,” Druckmann said.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

“But recently, that's changed, and I don't have a story, but I do have that concept that to me is as exciting as 1, as exciting as 2, is its own thing, and yet has this throughline for all three. So it does feel like there's probably one more chapter to this story."

Just a few weeks ago, he shared early concept art of Joel and Ellie. The caption stated, “Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead.”

Many took this to be a soft launch of The Last of Us Part III’s existence, especially as Naughty Dog has stepped away from formally unveiling games too early.

It’s a similar case with the Uncharted project, which also remains unconfirmed, yet that didn’t stop game director Shaun Escayg from sharing a clanger of a hint on Instagram as he conducted “research”.

Druckmann has written and directed every The Last of Us video game instalment to date, albeit with partners on occasion, so it’s incredibly likely he’ll do the same again on Part III.

This would explain why he needed to step away from HBO’s The Last of Us, as it’s ultimately Naughty Dog’s game output that’s his number one priority.

READ MORE: Uncharted 5 Dev Update Teases New Release Date

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog’s only confirmed project, lacks a release date but is estimated to arrive in 2027, given its 2024 reveal.

As such, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the next Uncharted or The Last of Us entries for quite a number of years, but it’s comforting to know they’re seemingly coming.