Recently, it was claimed by a prominent videogame and movie leaker on Twitter that Neil Druckmann – co-President at Naughty Dog – is currently working on The Last of Us Part 3, and that it’ll be his ‘next game’.
While this news may not come as a complete surprise, it’s a step towards confirmation that a Last of Us Part 3 even exists. Last year, Druckmann confirmed that there was ‘something of a plot’, and then this year, there were whisperings that it was in the earliest stages of development, but this leak could be a step closer still.
It Could Still Be Several Years Away
This would technically be the third Last of Us game in development at Naughty Dog at the moment, with the firm also working on the PC port of The Last of Us Part I and on the multiplayer-focused ‘Factions 2’ that was revealed at the 2022 Summer Games Festival.
However, while those two titles are fully revealed and announced, there’s extremely little news to underline what’s happening with The Last of Us Part 3. Needless to say, when credible leaker @ViewerAnon took to Twitter to deliver this scoop, it was met with intense and instant discussion among the community.
Well, I'm not watching anything, so… Dr. Uckmann's next game is THE LAST OF US PART III which is currently in production at Naughty Dog. https://t.co/MxN8aBq9cy
— ViewerAnon (@ViewerAnon) December 13, 2022
There are also rumours circulating of an all-new IP being in development at Naughty Dog, which could pave the way for this to be the final Last of Us title in the franchise. There are expectations that the story will ultimately wrap up with a cure being developed, eradicating the Cordyceps Brain Infection and all the nasty monsters it has created.
That’s just conjecture, of course, but by the time The Last of Us Part 3 is expected to release, the franchise could be more than fifteen years old.
One Last Ride for The Last of Us
When The Last of Us launched in 2013 (exclusively on PS3), it quickly became one of the most decorated and beloved games in history. It was a universal success, securing Game of the Year awards across the board and spawning remasters and remakes like no tomorrow.
Then, in 2020, seven years later, The Last of Us Part II was released, and while it suffered from some intense controversy, it too was generally considered a masterpiece of a game. At The Game Awards in December 2022, The Last of Us Part I was revealed to be heading to PC, bringing a next-generation remaster of the classic game to an entirely new platform.
With that dropping in 2023, and Factions 2 being expected to arrive not too long after, the floor will be left wide open for The Last of Us Part 3 to be revealed.
But will it be?
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage on the claim that Spider-Man 2 will launch on PS5 in Fall 2023.
