Neil Druckmann, creative director and visionary behind The Last of Us, has offered a hint that the series may not be completely finished yet. The Last of Us franchise has not seen a new game released since 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2, which was remastered for the PlayStation 5 in 2024.
Despite only releasing two games in the series, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us franchise has served as one of gaming’s most influential properties since it first burst onto the scene. The game’s bleak, character-driven story and storytelling techniques have been a huge influence on the medium, with a host of The Last of Us-inspired games having been released since the original game’s launch in 2013. Most recently, the games have been adapted into a hit television show by HBO, with Neil Druckmann serving as a co-creator and writer for the show. Druckmann even directed a selection of episodes before ending his work on the TV series to focus on gaming projects.
‘I Leave Nothing on The Line’ The Last of Us Showrunner On Keeping The HBO Series Going After The Games End
Neil Druckmann addressed whether The Last of Us TV show would continue beyond the game.
The Last of Us Creative Director Teases More to Come From the Franchise
Neil Druckmann has offered The Last of Us fans a small hint that there may be more content coming from the beloved series. The co-creator of the franchise took to his Instagram page to post the very first pair of sketches from the game’s conceptual phase, showcasing his initial design ideas for the pair of Joel and Ellie. Beneath the post, Druckmann stated that he was “grateful for every part” of the franchise’s journey, “especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead.” This very final portion of Druckmann’s caption has caused a stir among fans of The Last of Us, teasing that there may be more ahead for the series beyond the completion of The Last of Us Part 2.
Druckmann’s vague caption has inspired a host of interpretations among fans of the franchise, with some tempering expectations that the creative leader may have simply been teasing the upcoming third season of The Last of Us’ HBO series. Others have speculated that the statement could hint at the development of The Last of Us Part 3, a hypothetical third installment in the critically acclaimed game series. Despite The Last of Us Part 2 wrapping up much of the story established in Part 1, the second game in the franchise leaves room for more potential entries due to its introduction of various new characters, along with its open-ended finale.
With Neil Druckmann stepping away from HBO’s The Last of Us series to concentrate on his work at Naughty Dog, it would make perfect sense for the revered video game development studio to begin looking ahead to the future of its flagship franchise. The man who helped bring the beloved world of The Last of Us to life is now solely focused on the world of video games once again, and that could open the window for more games in the franchise’s universe. Despite this hope, it should be noted that Naughty Dog is currently hard at work on its next title, the Cowboy Bebop-inspired Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which serves as the studio’s first original IP since The Last of Us made its debut on the PlayStation 3. Druckmann’s focus could be solely on bringing this new title to fruition, and his social media tease could very well be alluding to the conclusion of the HBO show.
Druckmann has offered vague hints at the future of The Last of Us in past interviews, with some of his comments seeming to quell hopes for a potential third game. In March 2025, Druckmann commented on The Last of Us Part 3 rumors, acknowledging the possibility that the HBO show’s conclusion could very well mark the end of the franchise without explicitly confirming this to be the case. With no guarantees, fans of The Last of Us will need to draw their own conclusions about what stories remain to be told in this post-apocalyptic world.
- Released
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June 19, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
