Neil Druckmann Drops a Major ‘The Last of Us’ Bombshell: New Projects Will Expand the Canon

Few franchises have generated as many “what happens next” conversations as ‘The Last of Us’. HBO’s adaptation is set to conclude with its third season in 2027, and fans have wondered whether that would also mean the end of the road for the wider universe. The question of new ‘The Last of Us’ projects has been hanging in the air for months.

Naughty Dog’s studio head has now answered it, at least in part. Earlier this month, Neil Druckmann told The Washington Post that the studio is not done with the franchise and that a couple of projects are in development. He said more would be revealed when the time is right.

This week, the confirmation got much more specific. In a Naughty Dog blog post closing out The Last of Us Day, Druckmann said two projects are in very early stages and that both will “expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.” The post went up on September 28, following the annual celebration tied to the in-game Outbreak Day.

Druckmann explained that the studio had talked about telling more stories in this world since the ‘Grounded II’ documentary. He added that Naughty Dog can’t say much yet and wouldn’t return to the series unless it had something meaningful to say. The studio’s stated reason is simple: it believes these stories are worth telling.

Just as important is what the announcement doesn’t include. There are no titles, characters, platforms or release windows, and Druckmann did not say whether the projects are games, television productions or something else. Tbreak also noted that the announcement does not confirm a direct sequel or ‘The Last of Us Part III’.

That has not stopped speculation. Push Square described the news as effectively confirming that new games are coming, likely on the PS6, though it pointed out that Druckmann never called them games. Commenters on the site are already floating ideas that range from ‘Part III’ to a spinoff, including one led by Tommy.

DualShockers read the phrasing as a sign that the focus could shift to new characters and narratives, and called it the first time Naughty Dog has explicitly confirmed more is coming. Geek Culture went even further, suggesting the studio will move on from Ellie’s story. Neither outlet has any official confirmation, so those readings remain educated guesses.

The timing is interesting because the series has had a bumpy stretch. ‘The Last of Us Part II’ arrived in 2020, and the ‘Part I’ remake followed in 2022. Dark Horizons noted that the sequel proved far more divisive, with some fans putting it in the same league as the original and others hating certain creative choices.

Behind the scenes, a multiplayer game was in the works for years before it was scuttled after Sony steered away from live-service projects. There have been lingering questions about whether Naughty Dog would use that development work in some other form. Druckmann’s latest post doesn’t address that, but it shows the studio is keen to keep the world alive.

Naughty Dog’s current priority remains ‘Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’, its first major new game since 2020. Druckmann said the game is shaping up to be the studio’s most ambitious yet, and that it will be fully revealed in 2027. He said the team needs to cook for a little longer.

The game was first revealed on December 12, 2024, and has been absent from showcases since, including a recent State of Play presentation. DualShockers also reported that Naughty Dog plans to go quiet for the rest of 2026, so these tidbits are what fans will get for the foreseeable future.

For now, the takeaway is measured but exciting. The new projects are very early, and it may be years before anything is announced in detail. Still, the mere confirmation is a big shift from a franchise that many assumed might be finished.

The hardest part will be the wait. With a television finale on the way and ‘Intergalactic’ taking center stage, the next chapter of this universe is a long way off.

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