The Last of Us 3 1

Naughty Dog is all-in on Intergalactic development right now, with a PS5 release seemingly planned for 2027. What will come after it is anyone's guess at this current moment, but is a third instalment in The Last of Us series one possibility?

Absolutely.

Previously, studio head Neil Druckmann has said there is "probably one more chapter to the story", and now he's added slightly more fuel to the fire in a casual Instagram post. Druckmann was cleaning out his garage recently and found his sketches from all the way back in 2003 of a "man, his surrogate daughter, and a trek across a broken America".

Clearly referencing the journey Joel and Ellie go on in the original The Last of Us game, Druckmann adds: "Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead."

The Last of Us 3 2

In the years that followed The Last of Us 2's release, Druckmann shared how he couldn't find a concept for a third game in the series. However, as of April 2023, in a development documentary covering the second game, Druckmann revealed that had changed.

At the time, there wasn't an actual plot in place, but there was a concept "as exciting as [The Last of Us] one, as exciting as [The Last of Us] two. It's its own thing and yet has this throughline for all three. So it does feel like there's probably one more chapter to the story."

Now, years later, Druckmann hints there are a "few stops that remain on the road ahead". Of course, one of these "stops" will be the third season in HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us to TV. Beyond that, though, there are no The Last of Us projects of any kind confirmed publicly.

Even if Naughty Dog was to start on The Last of Us 3 as soon as it's wrapped Intergalactic, we will still likely be at least half a decade away from it releasing — anything that comes next will very comfortably be a PS6 title.

Still, do you think this is a subtle The Last of Us 3 tease? Let us know in the comments below.

[source instagram.com]