Neil Druckmann Confirmed Naughty Dog Hasn’t Finished with The Last of Us Franchise Yet

Naughty Dog is currently working on its new IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, announced back in 2024. The upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive hasn't made a public appearance in a while since it's believed to still be deep in a difficult development process. There's also been persistent talk that the studio is somehow working on a new The Last of Us game, and in a recent interview, Naughty Dog's head essentially confirmed that it's really just a matter of time.

Neil Druckmann recently spoke with The Washington Post, touching on The Last of Us franchise as a separate topic, particularly around the HBO series. He confirmed the upcoming third season will be the show's last, putting an end to speculation about a fourth. That said, he clarified the game studio itself isn't involved in the show's production, and once it wraps, something else tied to The Last of Us will follow. You can check that out below:

“I wasn't involved in shaping this season's creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role in the direction of this season. So I can't personally speak to how production is progressing. It's important for us to note that as the creator of the games, Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP and even though this might be the end of this adaptation.

We’re not done with The Last of Us. There’s a couple projects in the works that, when the time is right, I’m very excited to talk about.”

Rumors about a possible The Last of Us Part III keep circulating. Based on an earlier Druckmann interview, it could focus on other immune characters, an idea he's actually wanted to explore since as far back as the second game. Troy Baker, who plays Joel, has also claimed his character could return and shared his own pitch: a prequel centered on Joel and his brother, Tommy. Either way, Naughty Dog clearly has several paths it could take the franchise, but for now, all its focus is on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Plenty of people were expecting Naughty Dog to reveal something new about the game at yesterday's State of Play, but that didn't happen. You can also check out everything else that was shown at Sony's latest presentation.