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New Uncharted Game Reportedly in Development at Naughty Dog
Nearly a decade after the series’ last new adventure, Naughty Dog is reportedly preparing to return to Uncharted. The PlayStation studio is currently focused on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, while Neil Druckmann recently confirmed that two additional The Last of Us projects are also in their earliest stages.
Behind those publicly discussed projects, however, another familiar franchise may be making its comeback. According to a new report from MP1st, Naughty Dog is developing an entirely new Uncharted game, rather than another remake or remaster.
Shaun Escayg, who previously served as creative director and writer on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, reportedly leads the project.
Shaun Escayg Reportedly Leads Return
Escayg has plenty of history with Naughty Dog. After contributing to several of the studio’s games, he took a leading creative role on The Lost Legacy, the 2017 standalone adventure that shifted the spotlight from Nathan Drake to Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross.
He later joined Crystal Dynamics and worked on Marvel’s Avengers before returning to Naughty Dog in 2021. MP1st claims his current project is a completely new game and could become Naughty Dog’s next major release following Intergalactic.
Industry insider NateTheHate has since added some support to the report, saying the new Uncharted is the project he had previously heard about when discussing Escayg’s work.
Nathan Drake Could Still Have a Role
Perhaps the most intriguing claim concerns Nathan Drake. It seems the longtime protagonist will appear in the new game in some capacity, although they could not confirm whether he is the main character, a supporting presence, or simply making a cameo.
That distinction matters considering how definitively Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End concluded Nathan’s treasure-hunting career. Its epilogue also introduced his daughter, Cassie Drake, inevitably making her a possibility whenever the discussion turns to a new generation of Uncharted.
There is currently no reliable information confirming Cassie as the protagonist, however, so anything beyond Nathan’s reported involvement remains speculation.
Uncharted Could Follow Intergalactic
Even if the report proves accurate, an announcement does not appear imminent. Naughty Dog has already confirmed that it will remain quiet about Intergalactic for the rest of 2026 before fully revealing the sci-fi adventure in 2027.
The suggestion is that Uncharted is positioned behind Intergalactic in the studio’s current pipeline, with another The Last of Us project potentially following afterwards. Naughty Dog has not announced that proposed order, and the studio has not confirmed that either of its recently revealed The Last of Us projects is specifically Part III.
For now, then, Uncharted’s return remains a report rather than an official PlayStation announcement. But with Escayg reportedly back at the helm and Nathan Drake potentially involved, the series may not have reached the end of its journey after all.
