Speculation Grows as The Last of Us Creator Hints at a New Game in the Series

In the summer of 2025, Neil Druckmann, the creative force behind The Last of Us, announced he was stepping away from the HBO adaptation of the beloved PlayStation zombie survival game. So, what’s he up to now? If his recent social media activity is any clue, it could be — drumroll, please — the development of another The Last of Us game.

This speculation stems from Druckmann’s Instagram post featuring early sketches from 2003. Back then, the concept revolved around “a man, his surrogate daughter, and a trek across a broken America,” as he described it.

Druckmann mentioned he stumbled upon these illustrations while cleaning out his garage, which sounds like a casual find. However, fans are particularly intrigued by his choice of words towards the end of the caption: “Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead.”

While he could simply be hinting at future projects in general, fans are quick to point out that he hasn’t dismissed the idea of a new installment in The Last of Us series. One fan commented on his post, “That last line pretty much confirms part 3,” echoing a sentiment shared by many others.

In 2023, Druckmann stated that the decision to continue the series lies with Naughty Dog. He emphasized that if the studio can craft a compelling narrative with a universal message about love — akin to the first two games — then they would pursue that story. If not, he noted, they have a strong conclusion with Part 2, which could serve as the series’ end.

Players of The Last of Us Part 2 know it feels like a fitting conclusion for Ellie, who grapples with the trauma of Joel’s death. Yet, the first game wrapped up on a poignant note that didn’t seem to call for a sequel, and yet we got one. It appears Naughty Dog has struggled to move on from the series, given the frequency and speed with which they’ve remade and adapted the first two games, making various tweaks to characters and plotlines along the way.

Additionally, Naughty Dog invested considerable time trying to develop a multiplayer version of The Last of Us, which ultimately got canceled. However, the series has seen a resurgence in interest thanks to the success of the TV adaptation. Revisiting this world could make sense from a business perspective, even if it doesn’t mean bringing back Ellie or Abby specifically in a potential The Last of Us Part 3.

Whatever plans Druckmann has in mind, two things are clear. First, Naughty Dog is currently working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a futuristic PS5 title featuring a bounty hunter, which still lacks a release date. This suggests that a new The Last of Us game likely won’t be arriving anytime soon. The second certainty is that HBO is gearing up for a third season of TLOU, which is expected to delve deeper into Abby’s storyline.