New Last of Us Projects Remain a Mystery

The Last of Us projects currently being developed could include another game, a television production or something else entirely. Neil Druckmann has confirmed that Naughty Dog is not finished with the franchise, but anyone already preparing for Part III may want to keep the celebration modest.

Speaking to The Washington Post, the Naughty Dog studio head said the company remains responsible for the intellectual property even as its direct involvement with HBO’s adaptation ends. “We’re not done with The Last of Us,” Druckmann said. “There’s a couple projects in the works that, when the time is right, I’m very excited to talk about.”

That is a meaningful statement, particularly after years of uncertainty. It is not, however, a game announcement. Naughty Dog, Sony and HBO have not identified either project, and none has confirmed that The Last of Us Part III exists.

Does this mean The Last of Us Part III is happening?

Druckmann’s comments have revived expectations for a third main game because he has previously discussed an outline for another story. The first two numbered entries also became major commercial and critical successes, while remasters, remakes and the HBO series have kept the property highly visible.

Naughty Dog said the franchise had sold more than 37 million game copies worldwide by December 2022. For Sony, leaving a series of that size untouched forever would be an unusually disciplined display of restraint.

Still, Druckmann chose the word “projects,” not “games.” The distinction matters. A new television production, animation, spin-off or another cross-media adaptation could fit that description just as easily as a sequel.

His latest remarks also sound considerably more optimistic than his comments to Variety in March 2025. Asked then about the series continuing, he said: “Don’t bet on there being more of Last of Us. This could be it.” The change in tone suggests plans have moved, but it does not reveal what those plans are.

Why is Naughty Dog stepping away from HBO’s third season?

HBO’s third season is expected to complete the television adaptation of the two existing games. According to The Washington Post, neither Druckmann nor Naughty Dog is shaping its creative direction.

Druckmann co-created the television series with Craig Mazin and was closely involved in its earlier production. His withdrawal separates Naughty Dog’s future work from HBO’s immediate plans, while the studio continues to act as steward of the underlying property.

The distinction also explains why his reference to future work remains so broad. HBO can finish this version of the story while Sony and Naughty Dog pursue unrelated productions using the same characters, setting or wider fictional world. Alternatively, the studio could develop a game that has nothing to do with the television adaptation.

Geoff Keighley shared Druckmann’s remarks on social media, helping the expected Part III speculation travel quickly. Reports from Stevivor, Inven Global and Power Up Gaming repeated the comments, but none established that either unnamed project is a video game.

Could the cancelled multiplayer game return in another form?

One possible source of material is The Last of Us Online, the multiplayer title Naughty Dog cancelled in December 2023. The studio said supporting it as a long-running live-service game would have required so many resources that it risked abandoning the single-player productions on which its reputation was built.

Former director Vinit Agarwal later told podcaster Lance E. Lee that the project had consumed nearly seven years of development and was almost 80% complete. He described the cancellation as “soul-crushing” and said he learned about it only 24 hours before Naughty Dog informed the public.

That amount of completed work naturally raises questions about whether technology, environments, designs or story ideas could be reused. No source has confirmed that this is happening. The cancelled project should not be quietly promoted back into existence simply because some expensive files probably remain on a server.

A smaller spin-off or a reworked single-player concept is possible in theory. So is a completely separate production. Until Naughty Dog names the projects, the multiplayer game remains background rather than evidence.

What else is Naughty Dog developing?

The studio’s only announced original game is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a science-fiction title in development for PlayStation 5 since 2020. GamesRadar reported on August 31, 2026, that its cinematic shoot had finished, although Sony still has not announced a release date.

Druckmann has also disclosed that Naughty Dog has a second game in development alongside Intergalactic. He is serving as a producer rather than director on that project, and its identity remains unknown. Speculation has included a return to Uncharted and an original fantasy game, but no credible evidence has established either theory.

The crowded production schedule makes a near-term release for another large Last of Us game difficult to imagine. Naughty Dog has not launched a wholly original title since The Last of Us Part II in 2020, having spent the intervening years on remakes, remasters, television work, the cancelled online game and Intergalactic.

For now, Druckmann has confirmed continued interest in the franchise rather than a sequel. That is more than fans had after his 2025 warning, but considerably less than a logo, release window or even a declaration that one of these mysterious projects can be played with a controller.