It's been six years since The Last of Us Part 2 came out, and it's already been remastered alongside a remake of Part 1, but what's happened to The Last of Us Part 3?

The Last of Us multiplayer game was sadly cancelled, and with the studio now hard at work on Intergalactic, The Last of Us Part 3 appears to be on the backburner.

But with The Last of Us TV series proving such a success, is it not the perfect time to capitalise on it?

So, here's the latest news we've heard about The Last of Us Part 3.

Will there be a Last of Us Part 3?

While it previously appeared unlikely that there would be a Last of Us Part 3, recent news has hinted that it may be on the cards.

At the end of September, director Neil Druckmann posted a blog to the Naughty Dog website to close out The Last of Us Day, answering the question "Will there or won't there be more stories in The Last of Us?" Here's what he had to say:

"Since Grounded II, we've talked about the possibility of telling more stories in the world of The Last of Us.

"We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages – so we can't say much about them at this point. I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.

"The world of The Last of Us means a great deal to us, and we wouldn't return to it unless we had something meaningful to say. We believe these stories are worth telling."

So, there's new The Last of Us content in the works, although it's not necessarily confirmed that this is The Last of Us Part 3. That being said, it's the best news we've had about it in years, so we'll take it.

Druckmann had previously hinted that there would be a third instalment to come, he later explained that prospects for a long-awaited Last of Us Part 3 are not looking promising.

"I was waiting for this question. I guess the only thing I would say is don't bet on there being more Last of Us. This could be it," he replied when asked about Part 3 in an interview with Variety.

This will likely come as a shock to many fans given the tremendous success of the games, and more recently the widespread acclaim garnered by The Last of Us TV show.

Druckmann's previous comments in a YouTube documentary about the creation of The Last of Us Part 2 suggested that The Last of Us Part 3 was being worked on, or at least being thought about.

At the end of the Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II documentary, Druckmann explained his thought process behind a third game, detailing the need for a concept.

He said: "For years, I haven't been able to find that concept. But recently that's changed. I don't have a story, but I do have a concept that, to me, is as exciting as one, as exciting as two, is its own thing, yet has this through-line for all three."

He added: "It does feel like there's probably one more chapter to this story."

Skip to 1:56:35 in the video below (it should auto-play from that point) to hear Druckmann's thoughts in full:

Plans for the game had begun as early as 2021, with Druckmann explaining on the Script Apart podcast (thanks, IGN), that he and co-writer Halley Gross had written an outline for a story.

Druckmann noted at the time that Naughty Dog "is not making" the game yet, but he has hopes that their idea "can see the light of day" eventually. He added that the story outline for Part 3 which was written "explores a little bit what happens after" TLOU 2.

Druckmann is quick to point out, however, that "these [TLOU] games take so much to make" and that "you want to make sure you’re jazzed by the idea that you have, [that] it feels like it’s challenging".

By November 2023, however, it felt as though Naughty Dog itself wasn't in much of a hurry.

Speaking to Nick Romano for Entertainment Weekly, Druckmann said: "The Last of Us is obviously a world I love deeply, and [I] know our studio and fans do as well, but I have no comment at this moment on the series's future beyond our focus on The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered."

He added: "We have other projects in the works at Naughty Dog," likely in reference to the now-revealed Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of The Last of Us TV show's premiere, Druckmann couldn't reveal if Part 3 is in the works at Naughty Dog, but said: "I think there’s more story to tell."

Given the seven-year gap between Part 1 and Part 2, and the increasingly long production times in gaming as a whole, a prospective Last of Us Part 3 would undoubtedly require a similar development time, if not longer, and perhaps was regarded as a bridge too far for the moment.

He adds that Naughty Dog takes "a long time to explore different ideas, whether it’s going to be Last of Us 3, whether it’s something new, whether there’s some old franchise" it wants to go back to, meaning that while The Last of Us Part 3 may not currently be in the works, it's not out of the question for the studio to return to it in future.

In May 2025, Druckmann confirmed during the Press X to Continue podcast that he was working on a second, unannounced project at Naughty Dog, alongside Intergalactic.

It is currently unknown what this project is, and there is a chance that it could be The Last of Us Part 3, but even if it is, it won't be along for a while, as Naughty Dog tends to focus their resources heavily on one project at a time.

Former Naughty Dog president Evan Wells described this in 2021, stating that at the time, Naughty Dog had "multiple projects, but only one that is getting the lion's share of focus at any time".

A few years ago, we would have been shocked at the idea of The Last of Us Part 3 never being made, but now only time will tell if it ever sees the light of day.

What are our Last of Us 3 predictions?

Seeing as there may be many years ahead before The Last of Us Part 3 comes to fruition, if it does at all, we'll try our hand at some predictions and speculation to see where the story might go. Before we continue, however, be aware that lie ahead.

As Ellie may hold the key to saving humanity with her immunity to the cordyceps fungus, she may choose to sacrifice herself in the hopes that a cure may be found and undo Joel's actions from the first game.

It might not just be altruism that leads her to this decision. Ellie has lost a lot and killed many in her life. We've already seen just how much of a toll this has taken on her. Allowing herself to die may feel like more of a relief and an atonement for the sins committed in her name and by her own hand.

Other characters, such as Lev, may have their stories explored further, or perhaps a new character will take centre stage. A third game may even explore the fight for power in a world filled with new hope in the way of a vaccine, should one be found.

Even if it were, it might not be able to be made in significant quantities, causing outrage. Who would get it first? Would those who have committed terrible crimes, such as bandits, cannibals or members of FEDRA be acquitted or punished? All these factions would no doubt fight back if denied a vaccine.

FEDRA may even position themselves to reinstate the United States government's control, though their numbers are lacking.

Whether a third game comes together at all is another thing, but if it does, there'd be plenty to explore!

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