Table of Contents
Two New The Last of Us Projects Are in Early Development
Naughty Dog may be focused heavily on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but the studio is not finished with The Last of Us either. As part of this year’s The Last of Us Day celebrations, studio head and creative lead Neil Druckmann confirmed that Naughty Dog has two new projects set within the universe, both of which are currently in the very early stages of development.
Druckmann shared the update while closing out The Last of Us Day, confirming that both projects will expand the franchise’s canon beyond the stories already told in The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II. That is about as specific as Naughty Dog is willing to get for now.
Neither Project Has Been Confirmed as The Last of Us Part III
Druckmann did not reveal what form either project will take, meaning it would be premature to assume one of them is Part III. There are no confirmed platforms, release windows or details surrounding their characters and settings. Naughty Dog has not even clarified whether both projects are video games, leaving open the possibility that the studio could explore the universe through different formats.
What Druckmann did make clear is that the studio only wants to return to the series when it believes there is something worthwhile to add to the world. That makes the announcement particularly notable following the cancellation of Naughty Dog’s multiplayer The Last of Us project, which had previously represented the studio’s biggest attempt to expand the franchise beyond its single-player stories.
Naughty Dog was already known to have another project in development alongside Intergalactic, although it remains unclear how that previously discussed game relates to these newly confirmed projects.
Intergalactic Gets Its Full Reveal in 2027
Naughty Dog’s immediate attention remains on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and fans should not expect another major update this year.
Druckmann confirmed that the studio intends to stay quiet about the sci-fi adventure for the remainder of 2026 before fully revealing the game in 2027, including a much more substantial look at protagonist Jordan A. Mun’s journey.
The studio has kept Intergalactic largely under wraps since its debut, although Druckmann continues to describe it as Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game to date. That leaves Naughty Dog with a fairly packed slate behind the scenes. Intergalactic is heading towards a proper unveiling next year, while two more stories from The Last of Us universe are now beginning to take shape. Exactly what those stories become, however, is something Naughty Dog clearly is not ready to answer yet.
