Naughty Dog is working on two new projects set in The Last of Us universe, both of which will expand the series’ canon beyond Part I and Part II. That’s according to studio head Neil Druckmann, who shared the news in a The Last of Us Day update.
“Since Grounded II, we’ve talked about the possibility of telling more stories in the world of The Last of Us,” Druckmann wrote. “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.”
Druckmann added that the studio wouldn’t return to the series without a story it felt was worth telling: “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.”
That’s a clear confirmation of more Last of Us stories, but Naughty Dog is being careful about what it has confirmed. There’s no mention of The Last of Us Part III, and the post doesn’t say whether these projects are actually games, or what characters they might follow. They’re also at a very early stage, so I wouldn’t expect details soon.
The news does follow Druckmann’s earlier comments that Naughty Dog wasn’t done with the series, despite the HBO adaptation moving toward its conclusion. It’s a notable change in tone from his 2025 warning not to bet on another Last of Us, when he said the studio would only return if it had a story that felt meaningful. Presumably, they found a story they found meaningful, then.
There’s also been speculation about where the series could go at this point. In July, Joel actor Troy Baker said he’d be “on board with anything” Naughty Dog decided to make, including a proposed prequel about Joel and Tommy. “There’s this beautiful thing about the mystery of what happened between Tommy and Joel,” Baker said in an interview with Insider Gaming. “There is all the time, the 20 years, you’ve got such beautiful lore to choose from. I think that makes a great foundation for a story.”
Baker’s enthusiasm doesn’t connect him to either of these newly confirmed projects, though, and Naughty Dog hasn’t suggested that a Joel-and-Tommy story is in development. For now, we know only that there are two stories the studio believes are worth telling, and that both will add to the canon beyond the existing games.
Personally, his wording makes me thing the two projects are spin-off projects since Druckman specifically says they will “expand the canon” of Part 1 and 2. That said, it doesn’t rule out a full-blown Part 3, either. Although I’m not sure I can handle another 40 hours of a game that seems determined to make me depressed.