3 Reasons There Won’t (and Shouldn’t) Be a Last Of Us Part 3

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Ever since the intense debate over The Last of Us Part II or maybe just the enduring love for the franchise, I’ve been fielding calls for a third installment from fellow gamers like me. Since wrapping up the second game, fans have been clamoring for more. With the ongoing HBO Max TV show, there’s a palpable renewed interest in what could potentially come next.

Based on current developments, it appears we won’t see another installment in the series. Creator Neil Druckmann shared some intriguing concepts for a third game, but he believes The Last of Us Part II serves as a conclusive end to the story. Given this and other factors, neither a new sequel will be made nor should one be expected.

3. Not Everything Has to Be a Sprawling Franchise

Without a doubt, when something is exceptionally popular or highly appreciated, it often transforms into a franchise. For instance, the phenomenal success of ‘Star Wars’ can be attributed to its immense popularity and outstanding execution. The enduring appeal of ‘The Legend of Zelda’, on the other hand, stems from its consistent demand over the years.

While it’s true that some things are best left untouched, striving for excellence means making people want more, not necessarily giving them more all the time. The video game series “The Last of Us” demonstrates this perfectly, as merging the two games into one would detract from their separate yet interconnected stories.

Expanding a game into a franchise isn’t always the best choice, particularly when the primary emphasis is on storytelling rather than groundbreaking gameplay or visuals. Just as less can sometimes be more in television, additional content might not always be beneficial. Would fans play multiple The Last of Us games? Probably, but Naughty Dog never intended to create that many.

2. It Would Have Happened By Now

A primary reason why a third installment of “The Last of Us” hasn’t been released yet is that Naughty Dog hasn’t devoted any time to its development after “The Last of Us Part II” was launched in 2020. However, it’s essential to note that they haven’t abandoned the brand; instead, they’ve focused on remakes and remasters of the original games for various platforms, resulting in four distinct versions of the two titles being made available since then.

It’s evident that the developers are keen on leveraging the fans’ enthusiasm for the game series, and their eagerness is apparent since the show continues to thrive in popularity, even after receiving mixed reviews for Season 2. Furthermore, an update for Part II was recently released just this week.

For all that stretch of time, they might as well have been preparing for their third title. With advancements in game development since their sequel era, five years seems more than sufficient. If a third game were underway, we’d likely know by now. Instead, it appears Naughty Dog is focusing on “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet” project.

1. The Story is Perfect and Complete

It’s quite uncommon for a heart-touching and captivating narrative to be presented in a video game. Generally speaking, the medium is not renowned for its storytelling, but games like this strive to challenge that stereotype. However, we have an exceptional instance where a powerful story unfolds solely within a video game.

The primary rationale behind not having a third installment is that this tale has reached its conclusion, leaving no further aspects to delve into. Although some speculate about potential sequels picking up from the events of the second game, such as tracing Ellie’s journey to locate Dina and JJ or Abby and Lev rejoining the Fireflies, it seems that the story has already reached its end.

Instead of delving into more adventures that seem intriguing but lack a compelling narrative, we might question why we should revisit these places. Since both Abby’s and Ellie’s arcs have reached their conclusions, it seems there’s no new moral story left to tell. At least, not one that’s evident at the moment.

As a devoted fan, I’ve been pondering over potential continuations of the story, such as prequels focusing on Ellie’s life within the Quarantine Zone or the early days of the outbreak with Tommy and Joel. However, these ideas seem to stray from the core essence of these games – they’re not about providing tasks for players, but about delivering a profound narrative experience.

At times like this, I believe it’s wise to acknowledge when we’ve reached the pinnacle, and Naughty Dog has certainly achieved that with The Last of Us series. There doesn’t seem to be any more meaningful chapters to add to this story at this moment in time. In some ways, ending on a high note is just as powerful as continuing a story, and I think Naughty Dog has done an exceptional job in reaching that point.

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2025-07-13 21:10