Last of Us creator says „don't bet on more” when asked about Part 3

Today, in an interview with Variety, Neil Druckmann, the creator of The Last of Us, spoke about the possibility of a third game in the series. Druckmann’s studio Naughty Dog is best known for The Last of Us along with other notable franchises like Uncharted, Jak and Daxter, and the closing announcement at the Game Awards, the upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The Last of Us TV show is also about to begin airing its second season, which Druckmann and Naughty Dog are involved with. That’s a lot of projects for one studio.

The Last of Us creator talks about the possibility of a third game in the series

Naughty Dog and Druckmann have a long list of projects they are working on. One would guess that the studio is all hands-on deck for Intergalactic, the exciting new game shown off during the Game Awards. There is no release window for that game yet, and with it likely being early in the development process, it’s likely a few years before we get to play it. That doesn’t leave much room for the studio to fit in another Last of Us game.

Near the end of the interview with Variety, which primarily focused on the imminent premier of season two of The Last of Us TV show, Druckmann was asked about the potential for a third video game in the beloved series. Druckmann appears reluctant to speak on the topic, but did say: “I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more of ‘Last of Us.’ This could be it.” While this is far from concrete that there will never be another Last of Us game, it’s not anything to get your hopes up about.

The Last of Us Part 2 was released in 2020 and immediately became one of the most polarizing games. While lots of valid criticism was aimed at the sequel for its choices and storytelling, I’m sure we all remember the toxic side of the gaming community that constantly jumps from game to game, giving the rest of us a bad reputation. After that debacle, it would not be surprising if Naughty Dog wanted to let that story rest for a time.

It is possible that the Last of Us story will end with Part 2, but ultimately, we will have to wait to see. I would be surprised if we hear any news from Naughty Dog about The Last of Us (other than maybe one more remaster) until after Intergalactic is released. Depending on the success of the TV show, which is expected to split the second video game over the next two seasons, maybe they will want to continue it. Druckmann has talked fondly of his ability to explore the story again through the TV show, so maybe he would rather the story continue in that format. The Last of Us is too fascinating a world, and too popular a world, to let it sit for too long. Even if they decide to tell a completely new story set in this world, it would be interesting to see.

The Last of Us: Part II

June 19, 2020

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• Naughty Dog
• The Last of Us (franchise)
• The Last of Us 3