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Is there going to be a third The Last of Us game? Given the big success of the first two games and the HBO series, many are expecting more entries in the game series. But Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann says it would take something special for the studio to make a third game.
He told ComicBook that he’s currently focused on the TV show–which was just renewed for a third season–along with the game he’s directing, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. He’s not ruling out a third The Last of Us game, but he’s not confirming it either.
“Back at Naughty Dog, we’re now working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which is something we’ve been working on for many years. That is taking up all of our time,” he said. “I am treating these projects like it’s the last thing I will ever work on. So my assumption is that there will be no more. If the stars align, and everything comes into place, who knows?”
Druckmann went on to say the story in the first The Last of Us was structured to have a “definitive ending” because he didn’t know if he would get to make a sequel. But the game was a big success and Druckmann came back for The Last of Us: Part II. He said Naughty Dog didn’t have to make the sequel because Naughty Dog owner Sony trusts the company enough to make its own decisions.
“But we had an idea [for The Last of Us: Part II] that we felt passionate about. It was a good enough idea to spend years on it. We worked on the story and felt like, ‘OK, that story has come full circle. The definitive ending for this moment in time,'” he said.
Druckmann is repeating himself here, as he previously addressed rumors of The Last of Us: Part III by saying he treats every game like his last and that the stars would have to align for it to come about.
In 2023, after Naughty Dog canceled The Last of Us Online, the studio said it had at least two single-player games in development. One has been revealed to be Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but the other remains a mystery. Reporter Daniel Richtman said The Last of Us: Part III is in production now. For what it’s worth, Druckmann has said he has a story in mind for The Last of Us: Part III.
Intergalactic is reportedly not going to release until 2027 at the soonest, so if The Last of Us 3 or any other one Last of Us game came after it, fans shouldn’t expect to play it soon. As for The Last of Us TV series, Season 2 premieres this Sunday, April 13.
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