‘We Were Debating Whether to Go Straight into The Last of Us 3’: Expect More Infected in the Future

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You’ve almost certainly not seen the last of The Last of Us.

In his conversation with Variety, Neil Druckmann, who has been thoroughly prepared by the media, subtly suggested multiple times that it’s probable we might see a third installment in The Last of Us series. To grasp this, you’ll need to pay close attention and decipher his hints.

Specifically, regarding his reasons for leaving his daily responsibilities during the third season of HBO’s popular TV adaption, he mentioned:

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In relation to his decision to stop handling day-to-day tasks in the third season of HBO’s successful TV adaptation, he explained:

As I juggle multiple projects related to The Last of Us, not just the TV series, and various other games in development, the project that demands the most attention is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – our upcoming IP for Naughty Dog and PlayStation. To effectively manage all my duties, it seemed wiser to maintain a higher-level position.

There are a few juicy tidbits here.

Initially, Druckmann mentions that he’s engaged in various projects related to The Last of Us besides the TV series, and it’s quite plausible that one of these could involve a video game.

Beyond just that, he highlights the games he’s working on collectively, and it’s understood that Naughty Dog is currently developing several single-player projects, with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet being their main priority at present.

However, during the course of the interview, he revealed that his team had initially pondered diving right into The Last of Us 3. Yet, they were deeply invested in the sci-fi narrative of Intergalactic, which led them to prioritize that project initially.

He explained:

Instead of diving headfirst into The Last of Us 3, we spent considerable time brainstorming potential features. While considering other IPs such as Uncharted and Jak and Daxter, our team was more intrigued by a long-discussed sci-fi concept. Since our enthusiasm is with this idea, that’s the direction we are choosing for our development efforts.

It could be beneficial for the team to try a new approach, since working on Intergalactic might provide a refreshing change of pace for the studio.

It’s speculated that work on The Last of Us Part 3 might already be underway in secretive early stages. It seems plausible that a modest group of writers and designers are involved at present, with the studio potentially planning to shift focus towards this project once they’ve completed their current tasks.

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2025-09-12 20:37