The Last Of Us 3: Everything We Know About The Unconfirmed Game

Is there a chance we might see The Last of Us: Part III in the future? There has been recent buzz surrounding Naughty Dog’s gaming franchise, partly fueled by the hit HBO show featuring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. This renewed interest has sparked speculation about the potential return of the video game series.

Although no official announcements have been made yet, hints and comments from the Naughty Dog team suggest a possible return to the post-apocalyptic world featured in The Last of Us series. It’s important to note that The Last of Us Part III is not confirmed at this time, but there’s a possibility it might be developed. With that in mind, we’ve gathered all the rumors and information available about a potential new installment in The Last of Us series.

Table of Contents [hide]

The Last Of Us: Part III Could Happen “If The Stars Align”
“Probably One More Chapter”
The Last Of Us: Part II Is A “Fine Ending Point”
How The TV Show Factors In
Naughty Dog Has Two Single-Player Games In The Works
When will The Last of Us: Part III be released?
The Last of Us: Part III platforms
The Last of Us: Part III Story, Setting, And Characters
Who’s developing The Last of Us: Part III?

The Last Of Us: Part III Could Happen “If The Stars Align”

In a recent chat, Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog (the team behind The Last of Us: Part I and II) shared some insights. When questioned about a possible third installment during an interview for The Last of Us Season 2, he neither denied nor confirmed the development of such a game, merely stating that it’s not completely off the table.

At Naughty Dog, where I’m proud to be a part of the team, we’re currently immersed in creating Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – a project that we’ve been nurturing for years. It’s become our primary focus and consumes all our energies. As I pour my heart and soul into these projects, I can’t help but feel as if they might be the culmination of my career. Understandably, this leads me to question whether there will be any more installments of The Last of Us series. However, should the universe conspire in our favor, and all pieces fall perfectly into place, who knows what the future may hold?

Originally, Druckmann designed the storyline in the first The Last of Us to culminate in a conclusive ending since he wasn’t certain if there would be a sequel. However, the game turned out to be incredibly popular, and so Druckmann returned for The Last of Us: Part II. Notably, Naughty Dog didn’t feel compelled to produce a sequel as Sony, their owner, has faith in the company to make independent decisions when it comes to their projects.

We developed a concept [for The Last of Us: Part II] that we were deeply invested in. It was worthwhile enough to devote numerous years to its development. We carefully crafted the narrative and ultimately felt, ‘Ah, this story has reached its conclusion. This ending encapsulates this particular moment in time,'” he explained.

“Probably One More Chapter”

Back in early 2024, Druckmann mentioned during a behind-the-scenes film for The Last of Us: Part II that he believed there might be “likely another installment” or “perhaps one more episode” left in the narrative.

He mentioned that for some time now, he hasn’t been able to pin down a concept for The Last of Us III. However, he recently found that elusive idea, which excites him as much as the previous two installments. He doesn’t have a full-fledged story yet, but the concept itself is compelling. It stands alone while also maintaining a connection with the first two games, leading him to believe there might be one more chapter in this story.

The documentary appears to have been produced some time in the past, collaboratively with Naughty Dog. Given this, it likely contains only information that was considered suitable for public release, including Druckmann’s speculations about a possible new Last of Us game. However, just because Druckmann spoke about a potential The Last of Us: Part III doesn’t mean it’s a game Naughty Dog will definitely create.

It’s reasonable to assume that with the massive popularity and acclaim of The Last of Us video game and series, those in charge might wish for the franchise to persist, primarily due to potential financial gains. However, this reasoning could equally apply to Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series, which wrapped up almost a decade ago with Uncharted 4 and has given no hints of returning. As Druckmann stated, Naughty Dog enjoys the luxury of choosing its future projects under Sony’s guidance, and it’s possible that the studio prefers to move on from Uncharted and The Last of Us to create fresh content.

The Last Of Us: Part II Is A “Fine Ending Point”

Should Naughty Dog not produce a third installment in the series, Druckmann stated that The Last of Us: Part II serves as an ideal conclusion.

I finished off the last piece of the apple, signaling the end of the story. It’s fortunate that at Naughty Dog, we aren’t required to create The Last of Us Part III. However, we’re eager for another installment in The Last of Us series, but he warned that if the team decides to work on something different, they will undoubtedly produce something else instead.

“It’s a very privileged position to be in,” he said.

In the same interview, Druckmann corrected his statements made in 2021 where he implied he had a full plot for The Last of Us III. He clarified that what he referred to previously was actually a sketch or idea for a story centered around the character Tommy, not a complete plan for the third installment.

Druckmann shared that he’s penned a tale set following “The Last of Us 2”, with the main character being Tommy. He expressed his hope for the opportunity to bring this narrative to life someday. Notably, this wasn’t initially envisioned as a complete game, but rather a compact, concentrated storyline instead.

At the moment when this Tommy game was not produced, Naughty Dog was focusing on more pressing matters. These included enhancing their production process and tackling the work/life balance concerns that garnered public attention.

How The TV Show Factors In

Part II.” The creators, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, have confirmed that they anticipate it will take at least two seasons to fully tell the story from the game. Since “The Last of Us” has already been renewed for a third season, this makes sense. As there’s currently no “The Last of Us: Part III,” fans are speculating about what a possible fourth season might entail. However, Craig Mazin has no plans to encounter a situation similar to “Game of Thrones,” where the TV adaptation goes beyond the original storyline from the source material.

In clear terms, Mazin stated to The Hollywood Reporter, “I have no intention of moving beyond this game. Let me make that perfectly clear. However, I can understand if some people speculate about us potentially resorting to a strategy often used for financial gain…

I’m essentially pouring a significant chunk of my limited time left into crafting this story for the screen. It’s challenging to produce, and it needs an ending. Therefore, I won’t extend beyond the current scope. Perhaps there may be a Dunk and Egg adaptation similar to The Last of Us someday, but for me, the key question is: Will it be one final season or will it need two more? If we can wrap it up in just one more season, that would be ideal. If we decide it’s better suited for a split into two seasons, then we’ll do that.

Naughty Dog Has Two Single-Player Games In The Works

In 2023, following Naughty Dog’s cancellation of The Last of Us Online, the studio confirmed they were working on at least two standalone games. One, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, has been unveiled, but the second project is still unknown. Some speculate that it could be The Last of Us: Part III, a theory backed by reports from Reporter Daniel Richtman in July 2023 suggesting that production for The Last of Us: Part III was underway.

When will The Last of Us: Part III be released?

As of now, there’s no official news about The Last of Us Part III. Since Naughty Dog seems to be focusing on their upcoming original project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which isn’t expected before 2027, a third installment in the Last of Us series might not be released until later, assuming it gets made at all.

The Last of Us: Part III platforms

If Naughty Dog chooses to create The Last of Us: Part III, it’s likely that this game will be released on a PlayStation system. So far, Naughty Dog has not unveiled any new games for the PS5, and if Intergalactic isn’t due until 2027 or later, one might wonder whether a possible The Last of Us: Part III could debut on the supposed PlayStation 6.

Sony, the company that oversees Naughty Dog, is gradually making a larger number of their exclusive titles available on PC platforms. However, these releases tend to occur after the initial launch for standalone player games.

The Last of Us: Part III Story, Setting, And Characters

[SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US: PART II FOLLOW]

In the finale of The Last of Us: Part II, Ellie and Abby finally clash in a showdown they’ve both been anticipating. When given the chance, Ellie chooses not to end Abby’s life, instead choosing mercy after contemplating what her mentor, Joel, would have preferred. As a result, both characters survive, leaving open the possibility for their story to continue in another installment, though this is simply conjecture at this point.

At present, there’s been no announcement or hint about the plot for a potential new installment in The Last of Us series. However, it’s possible that future games might focus on a different set of characters within the same universe.

Who’s developing The Last of Us: Part III?

It’s likely that Naughty Dog, having created The Last of Us series, will be the one to develop another installment if one is produced. However, while fans may anticipate Naughty Dog and Druckmann leading this new project, previous statements from the studio hint that there might be other options. Remember, when Naughty Dog announced they were finished creating Uncharted games, they mentioned they could allow another studio to take over and produce Uncharted 5.

2025-04-23 23:41