Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog and director of the first two The Last of Us games, has sparked speculation about a potential third instalment with a cryptic post on Instagram. The post features early concept art from 2003, showing sketches of Joel and Ellie, with the caption: 'Cleaning out the garage today and stumbled on my original sketches from 2003 for a game pitch about a man, his surrogate daughter, and a trek across a broken America.'
The second part of his caption has particularly excited fans: 'Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead.' The phrase 'few stops' suggests multiple projects related to The Last of Us may be in development.
Currently, the only confirmed The Last of Us project is the third season of HBO's television adaptation, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, which is expected to begin production soon for a 2027 release. Druckmann served as an executive producer on the first season but has since stepped away to focus on his duties at Naughty Dog.
Naughty Dog is known to be working on a new sci-fi IP called Intergalactic: The Last Prophet, announced at The Game Awards 2024. Additionally, Druckmann revealed in a podcast last year that he is producing a second project at the studio, though its nature remains unconfirmed—it could be a new IP or a continuation of an existing franchise like Uncharted.
In a documentary about The Last of Us Part 2, Druckmann stated that there is 'one more chapter to this story', indicating he has ideas for a third game. However, given that Intergalactic is the studio's primary focus, any potential Part 3 is likely still a long way off.
