The Last of Us Part 3 looks to finally be in development as Naughty Dog confirms new project

Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann may have just teased The Last of Us Part III, while also hinting that multiple projects set within the PlayStation franchise's universe are currently in development. The comments could even reignite hopes that The Last of Us multiplayer game may eventually see the light of day.

Naughty Dog is one of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s most important first-party studios, best known for blockbuster PlayStation franchises including The Last of Us and Uncharted. The developer is also working on its next major new IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

However, setting remasters, remakes, and spin-offs aside, it’s been quite some time since Naughty Dog released a brand-new game in either of its two major franchises. The most recent mainline Uncharted game was 2016’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, while The Last of Us Part II arrived in 2020.

Naughty Dog teases multiple new The Last of Us projects

It’s fair to say that a brand-new game in either franchise is long overdue. And while Naughty Dog is already working on its next major project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it appears The Last of Us could be getting more than one new release.

Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann recently shared some particularly interesting comments with The Washington Post about the future of video game storytelling, comments that should have The Last of Us fans very excited.

“It’s important for us to note that, as the creator of the games, Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP, and even though this might be the end of this adaptation [HBO's TV series], we’re not done with The Last of Us. There’s a couple of projects in the works that, when the time is right, I’m very excited to talk about,” said Druckmann.

READ MORE: The Last of Us Gamers Left Devastated As Part 3 To Mark Controversial Change

What’s next for The Last of Us? Naughty Dog’s potential plans explained

The most obvious assumption now is that, at some point, we’ll get The Last of Us Part III, which could potentially serve as the conclusion to Naughty Dog’s mainline series on PlayStation.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Druckmann’s comments, however, is his mention of “a couple of projects in the works”. Could this suggest that Naughty Dog is considering more than one new The Last of Us game? Alongside The Last of Us Part III, we could potentially see another story-driven spin-off, similar to what we got with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in 2017.

If Naughty Dog isn’t planning another single-player spin-off, the other obvious possibility would be a multiplayer game set in The Last of Us universe. We already know the studio spent years working on The Last of Us Online before officially cancelling the project in December 2023.

While The Last of Us Online was cancelled, it’s possible that elements of the project could still exist within Naughty Dog. If Sony and Naughty Dog ever decide to revisit the multiplayer concept, some of that previous work could potentially provide a foundation for a new project. For now, though, that remains purely speculative.

As for what we know is definitely on the way from Naughty Dog, we still have Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet to look forward to. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the new IP still doesn’t have a release date, despite being announced at The Game Awards 2024.