Good news for The Last of Us fans: Naughty Dog confirms two new projects

Several years have now passed since The Last of Us Part II. Aside from remasters and the HBO series, things have been relatively quiet around the franchise since then. When the multiplayer title The Last of Us Online was also canceled, some fans began to worry that Naughty Dog might never return to the series at all. Now, however, fans can breathe a sigh of relief: In a blog post for this year's The Last of Us Day, studio head Neil Druckmann confirmed that two new projects are currently in development – although both are still in the “very early stages.”

Naughty Dog is keeping specific details under wraps for now. So far, all that has been confirmed is that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond the story of Part I and Part II. However, it remains unclear what kind of projects they are. Druckmann explicitly refers to “projects” and “stories,” meaning they don't necessarily have to be games. In addition to full-fledged games, spin-offs or projects in other media are also conceivable.

Still, the obvious assumption is that one of the two projects could be The Last of Us Part III. Many fans on Reddit seem to think so as well. As for the second project, speculation includes a Joel and Tommy prequel or a smaller spin-off. However, the excitement surrounding the announcement comes with a healthy dose of gallows humor: Since both projects are still at a very early stage, some users are jokingly expecting them to be released sometime in the 2030s.

Incidentally, Naughty Dog also provided a brief update on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The studio's new sci-fi IP will not receive a major showcase in 2026. Instead, a bigger reveal is planned for 2027. The studio still hasn't announced a release date.