The Last Of Us Part 3 Is In Development, Claims New Report

The Last of Us games have proven to be an astounding success in the gaming industry, and the recent show has further induced the community to crave another entry. Despite old rumors being officially shot down in the past, a recent report by The Leak articulates that The Last of Us Part 3 is in active development behind the scenes.

Allegedly an unnamed source from Sony has revealed the new information to The Leak, noting that The Last of Us Part 3’s development is “in progress” and will release on the PS5 while keeping the “PlayStation 6 in mind.” The accredited site has also unveiled the specifics for the highly rumored PlayStation Slim model in the past.

As per the site, it is essentially the same source that revealed the details about the upcoming PlayStation Slim variant, which was also verified by the prominent insider and ex-eXputer writer Tom Henderson. The Leak notes that The Last of Us Part 3 may arrive for the PS5 while also being prepped for the PS6 release behind the curtains.

It makes sense considering the games’ development cycles have elongated in recent years. A high-budget AAA title starting production now would reach the gold grade in 4-6 years when the next console releases. Thus, the site notes that The Last of Us Part 3 may release in 2026, considering Naughty Dog‘s past projects. 

The well-renowned leaker in the movie industry, ViewerAnon, reported in December 2022 that the sequel had entered the furnace. Naughty Dog’s co-president, Neil Druckmann, indirectly denied the budding rumors. Neil wrote, “Be wary of ‘insider’ info. Much of it is false,” which caused most of the hyped community to subside.

Happy New Year, peeps! As always, thank you so much for the incredible support. We got lots of cool stuff coming next year that we can't wait to share with y'all! (P.S. be wary of "insider" info. Much of it is false.) pic.twitter.com/QSYTqiybmv

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) January 1, 2023

Two weeks ago, Neil Druckmann noted in an interview that the studio might completely move on from The Last of Us franchise if no compelling story is produced. The co-president gave the example of how it left the Uncharted series for similar reasons, and The Last of Us may meet the same fate.

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,” said Neil Druckmann.

However, a rough outline for a script for The Last of Us Part 3 has been in the works for a long time, and Neil Druckmann has also commented on it.

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,” said Neil in a podcast last year.

If this report is to be believed, the alleged script for The Last of Us Part 3 may have now evolved into a full-fledged story capable of touching hearts like the prior two entries. Sony recently partnered Naughty Dog with an internal development team to work on an unannounced AAA title, so it could be related to the rumored sequel. 

Naughty Dog appears to be exercising complete silence on its future projects, likely not to break expectations. However, it is currently actively working towards The Last of Us Multiplayer project, recently hailing it as the studio’s “most ambitious project“ yet.

What are your thoughts regarding The Leak’s new report claiming that The Last of Us Part 3 is in development? Do you think the source outing the info is correct despite Neil Druckmann still shutting down rumors? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.

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