Asked about The Last of Us Part 3, Neil Druckmann says "we have other projects in the works at Naughty Dog"
The creative director isn't commenting on the potential sequel
The Last of Us 2's director still isn't commenting on whether a sequel is of interest to the developer.
Neil Druckmann recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly shortly after The Last of Us 2 Remastered was revealed earlier this month. When asked about whether The Last of Us 3 might ever be happening at Naughty Dog, the co-president wouldn't directly address the possibility.
"The Last of Us is obviously a world I love deeply and know our studio and fans do as well, but I have no comment at this moment on the series' future beyond our focus on The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered," Druckmann told the outlet. However, Druckmann did confirm that Naughty Dog has "other projects in the works."
There have been several long-standing rumors surrounding Naughty Dog's future over the past year. One fairly consistent rumor is that The Last of Us 3 is happening, and will feature Ellie returning for another outing as the game's protagonist. Another rumor claims that Naughty Dog is working on a brand new IP, different to both The Last of Us and Uncharted.
For what it's worth, Druckmann stated earlier this year in an interview that he thought there was "more story to tell" in The Last of Us's world. That's definitely not confirmation of a third game happening, but it certainly didn't do anything to dispel the rumors surrounding a potential third game.
Druckmann isn't the only Naughty Dog personnel to have commented on a third game. Tommy actor Jeffrey Pierce believes "there's a lot of potential" for The Last of Us 3, but again, this isn't confirmation of the game being in development, just that developers believe there's material to work with.
The Last of Us 2 Remastered launches next year on January 19, 2024, as a PS5 exclusive. The Last of Us Season 2, meanwhile, is beginning production early next year in 2024.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.