The Last of Us 3 could happen, but developer Naughty Dog is 'moving on' from Uncharted
Don't expect to see Nathan Drake return anytime soon
The Last of Us 3 will be made if Naughty Dog can “come up with a compelling story”, according to Naughty Dog’s co-president, Neil Druckmann. However, fans of the Uncharted series may have to accept that Nathan Drake may never return, as Druckmann has said the studio is “moving on” from Nate’s treasure-hunting adventures.
Speaking to Buzzfeed, which is set to embrace AI like CNET, Druckmann said the studio isn’t under any pressure from Sony to create The Last of Us 4, Uncharted 5 or a spin-off game in the series.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: The Last of Us 3
👀 Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann has shared details on the future of The Last of Us and Uncharted games
🪙 Druckmann says the studio is done with Uncharted for now and moving on
🦋 The Last of Us 3 could happen if Naughty Dog can come up with a compelling story
🍄 Druckmann also said there have already been conversations about season 2 of The Last of Us TV show
“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,” Druckmann told Buzzfeed. “They have 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. That's not the case.
“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.”
Naughty Dog released Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection in January 2022, and it’s one of the best PS5 games you can play on Sony’s console. However, Uncharted 5 seems to be unlikely to happen based on Druckmann’s statement.
But what about The Last of Us 3? Naughty Dog released The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5 last year and the game is coming to PC in March. In my The Last of Us Part 1 review, I called the game an expertly-crafted remake of an iconic PS3 title but questioned whether it was worth the $70 price tag. However, it’s unclear whether a sequel will be made to The Last of Us Part 2, which was released on PS4 in June 2020.
“With The Last of Us, it's up to us whether we want to continue it or not,” Druckmann said. “Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is 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.”
As for The Last of Us TV show, which has been a hit with critics, Druckmann said discussions about season 2 have already taken place.
“We have had conversations about where we would go if we get renewed. Nothing has been official yet. The response so far has been incredible – reviews, fans, coming off the first episode – so we just pray that people will keep watching, we'll keep having this response, and there'll be more story to tell,” Druckmann said.
The news that we may never see another Uncharted game is admittedly sad to hear – I’m a huge fan of the series, and have thoroughly enjoyed every entry, including the PS Vita game Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
However, there’s nothing worse than when a developer is forced to keep milking the same cash cow over and over again for profits. I’d rather Uncharted’s impeccable legacy be left intact than see it slowly wrung dry.