Naughty Dog Might Already Be Moving On From The Last Of Us

The community has long wondered about a new mainline rendition in The Last of Us franchise. Neil Druckmann has addressed the frequently asked question in a recent interview with BuzzFeed.

The co-president of Naughty Dog noted that it could happen if the studio could brew up a compelling story for The Last of Us 3, and the studio is interested in the project. Naughty Dog may decide to move on from the IP completely, just like its other prominent Uncharted series if all the requirements are not met.

I know there’s a bunch of people wondering about The Last of Us Part 3 and whether that will be a thing or not. All I could say is, at Naughty Dog we’re very, very privileged that our publisher is Sony — which means Sony funds our games, supports us, and we’re owned by Sony,” said Neil during the interview.

Neil praised the giant conglomerate, stating that it has always supported the steps taken by the studio and has never persuaded Naughty Dog to follow up on an IP excessively if there is no story to be told.

Neil states that Sony has “supported us every step of the way to follow our passions — meaning that just because something is successful, people think there’s all this pressure and we have to make a sequel.”

Neil Druckmann goes on to give the example of Uncharted, stating how Sony never pushed them to create another entry. “For us, Uncharted was insanely successful — Uncharted 4 was one of our best selling games — and we’re able to put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we’re done. We’re moving on.”

Neil returns to discuss the chances of The Last of Us 3 and comments, “Likewise, with The Last of Us, it’s up to us whether we want to continue it or not.” A new entry may be developed as long as there is an exciting story to share. However, the chances are slim, considering the compelling conclusion in TLOU Part 2.

If we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2 and that will be the end,” stated Neil Druckmann.

It is worth noting that Naughty Dog has been tinkering with the story of its next entry in The Last of Us franchise since last year. For instance, an outline of a rough script has already been created, but that does not suggest that a new game is in development. 

I don’t know how much I want to reveal. [Co-writer Halley Gross] and I did write an outline for a story that we’re not making – but I hope one day can see the light of day – that explores a little bit about what happens after this game,” noted Neil in a podcast last year.

It remains unclear whether we will receive a subsequent installment in The Last Of Us IP. However, Neil recently stated that the upcoming multiplayer TLOU project is its “most ambitious“ yet, giving us something fantastic to look forward to from the talented developers at Naughty Dog.

What are your thoughts about Neil Druckmann’s point of view regarding the continuation of The Last of Us franchise? Do you think a new entry in the IP is possible, considering the definite ending of the second part? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.

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