Naughty Dog could choose not to pursue a third installment ofThe Last of Us, opting instead to move on as it has done withUncharted. Excluding remasters and PC ports, Naughty Dog has been done withUnchartedsince 2017’sThe Lost Legacy, and the developer may be poised to do the same withThe Last of Us.
The Last of Usis a nearly decade-old franchise that began in 2013 and presently enjoys the spotlight thanks to acritically acclaimed live-action adaptation produced by HBO. A sequel arrived in 2020 and a standalone multiplayer game is in development, but despite the near-guaranteed success of another follow-up, developer Naughty Dog may decide to pursue new endeavors and IP.
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According to Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann, Sony is placing no pressure on the studio to continue the story of Ellie and Abby, the protagonist and antagonist ofThe Last of Us Part 2respectively. AlthoughPart 2’s narrative of vengeancecame to a conclusion hotly contested among fans, there are plenty of avenues that could inspire a third game or even spinoffs. However, Naughty Dog will allegedly only makeThe Last of Us Part 3if a compelling story can be crafted, and the studio is dedicated to its creation. Given the intense backlash elements of the sequel received, it would not be a surprise if some developers wished to distance themselves from the franchise.
Druckmann has previously stated that a synopsis for a third title in the series has been written, but it apparently did not translate into development. Naughty Dog is currently hard at work on its first standalone multiplayer title,inspired by the Factions modethat was a part of the originalLast of Usgame. Fans were disappointed to see that the online mode did not make a return alongside the recent remake, fueling controversy regarding its $70 price point which many felt was unjustified.
Although Naughty Dog may soon be done withThe Last of Us, the same cannot be said for the fans. HBO’s TV premiere boasted a record-breaking 4.7 million viewers, which jumped 22% for the second episode - the largest second-week audience growth in the network’s history. The universal praise has successfully translated into video game purchases too, asThe Last of Us Part 1saw a 238% increase for boxed copiesin the United Kingdom.
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