Neil Druckmann, co-president of Naughty Dog, has announced that the studio has officially moved on from Uncharted to focus on the next chapter of The Last of Us.
Sony has been very supportive of Naughty Dog’s ability to follow its own creative path, and Druckmann told Buzzfeed that the publisher does not pressure the studio to make a sequel just because it is successful. Instead, Sony has encouraged the studio to pursue its passions regardless of a game’s success.
“That’s not the case. For us, Uncharted has been incredibly successful,” Druckmann explained. “Uncharted 4 was one of our best-selling games, and we’re able to put the final brushstroke on that story and say we’re done. We’re moving on.”
Duckmann did not elaborate on whether he was referring to Nathan Drake’s story, which ended in Uncharted 4, or the franchise as a whole. As of 2022, the Legacy of Thieves Collection will be the most comprehensive way to play the two most recent entries in the series, Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy, bringing the series to a close with a comprehensive package for players to enjoy.
Even if Nathan Drake’s story in the games may be at an end, the film adaptation released by Sony Pictures starring Tom Holland ultimately managed to gross a total of $401 million at the international box office, even if reviews were mixed at best.
What About The Last of Us Part 3?
When asked about the possibility of a The Last of Us Part 3, Druckmann explained that it’s up to Naughty Dog to decide whether or not to expand on Ellie’s story, but in the meantime, the developer is concentrating on creating an entirely new story for the multiplayer element of the game.
“We’ve been pretty open that the next Last of Us game is going to be this multiplayer experience, where you’ll be able to enter the world of The Last of Us with your friend and get to experience the tension and the brutality of that world — and a brand new story and cast of characters that live in another city that we haven’t seen yet in the world of The Last of Us. This is going to be another chapter in the universe of The Last of Us.“
As for if there would be a single-player Part 3 to look forward to, Druckmann details that “Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2, and that will be the end.”
The most recent release, The Last of Us Part 1, was released back in 2022, with reviewer David Walters summing up his thoughts by saying, “Naughty Dog has created a masterpiece of a remake in The Last of Us Part I. All of the emotion and action has been brought to the PS5 in stunning fashion.” For those who do not wish to immerse themselves in the games, The Last of Us series is currently streaming on HBO Max, with episodes released weekly.
If you’re one of the people who’ve been sleeping on the series, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is available for PS5 and PC and collects the entire franchise for players who want to dive in now that the franchise has come to an end.
