Despite the ongoing success ofThe Last of Usas a franchise, with two successful games and a popular TV adaptation, it’s apparently been confirmed thatTLOU Part 3won’t be happening. When it was originally released in 2020,The Last of Us Part 2launched to general success, but also a significant amount of controversy, as the direction of the game’s narrative sparked backlash from some fans of the first game.
In a new interview withVariety,Last of Uswriter and directorNeil Druckmann has apparently confirmed that there may not be another sequel, saying, “don’t bet on there being more ‘Last of Us.’ This could be it.” While not a total confirmation, Druckmann’s statement indicates that a prospectiveThe Last of Us Part 3isn’t likely, even after the launch of Naughty Dog’s upcoming game,Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which was announced at the 2024 Game Awards.
The Last Of Us Part 3 Probably Isn’t Happening, According To Neil Druckmann
Another TLOU Sequel Game Isn’t Likely, Says Series Writer And Director
The statement is potentially a worrying one forTLOUfans who might have been holding out hope for a full trilogy - unfortunately,no further elaboration has been provided, as theVarietyinterview was mostly centered around the upcoming second season of the TV show. In the unlikely case thatTLOU Part 3does eventually happen,it would likely still be multiple years away from release, given that evenIntergalacticcurrently lacks a set release window and probably won’t come out in 2025.
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Prior to the recent interview, the latest release in the series wasThe Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, an updated re-release launched in 2024 for the PlayStation 5. Before that, the last news regarding a completely new game in the series was the cancelation ofThe Last of Us Online, as announced onNaughty Dog’s official website. In light of Druckmann’s recent statement regarding the franchise, it seems likePart 2Remasteredmight be the lastTLOUgame to release- though Druckmann is still heavily involved with the production of the TV series.
It Might Be Better For TLOU To End On A High Note
AlthoughTLOU Part 3would probably be a successful game in its own right,it might be better that the series ends withPart 2. While the narrative of the second game was controversial for a number of reasons,Part 2also ended on a very final note, and it’s hard to see how another sequel would continue the story with the same characters and without retreading old ground. Stories, in any medium, that stretch on for too long often run the risk of losing their appeal and alienating their audiences - something thatPart 2arguably already did for some fans.
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Currently, with Druckmann’s most recent statement, it seems unlikelyThe Last of Us Part 3will ever get made, and Naughty Dog’s plans for any game other thanIntergalacticare unclear. At the same time,TLOUis a big enough franchise that the release of more games in the same post-apocalyptic setting is entirely possible, even if they’re not true sequels toPart 2. As of right now, only Naughty Dog can be certain of what’s to come (or not) forThe Last of Us, but if it is the end, the series can at least claim to have gone out on a high note.
The Last of Us
The Last of Usis a post-apocalyptic action-adventure franchise created by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, developed by Naughty Dog. It centers around survivors in a world ravaged by a fungal infection turning humans into aggressive creatures. The story primarily follows Joel and Ellie in the original game, while the sequel adds new characters like Abby. The franchise includes video games, a television series, comics, and other media.
