The Last of Us 3 has a plot – and Naughty Dog hasn't ruled out future development

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Neil Druckmann hopes The Last of Us 3 will 'one day see the light of day'

The Last of Us 2
(Image credit: Sony/Naughty Dog)

A plot exists for a potential The Last of Us 3, and while a next entry in the critically-acclaimed The Last of Us series isn't currently in development, developer Naughty Dog hasn't ruled out the possibility that it could happen in the future.

Speaking during an episode of the Script Apart podcast (via IGN), The Last of Us Creative Director – and Naughty Dog co-founder – Neil Druckmann revealed that he and co-writer Halley Gross have written the plot for The Last of Us 3, and that he hoped "one day it will see the light of day".

"I don’t know how much I want to reveal... [Halley Gross] and I did write an outline for a story, that we're not making – but I hope one day can see the light of day – that explores a little bit what happens after this game. We’ll see."

Druckmann went on to explain the challenges of undertaking a new The Last of Us game, explaining that with the series now having two titles, a third game would need to follow "some structural and thematic themes". 

What's next?

The Last of Us 2

(Image credit: Sony/Naughty Dog)

Following the release of The Last of Us 2, it seems Naughty Dog is still exploring what to do next. 

"After we finish one of our big titles, we take 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 we want to go back to," Druckmann said. "I like to fully explore all of those, then look at, like: okay, we have all of these ideas in front of us. As a studio, what do we want to commit to? Because it’s a huge commitment – monetary, time, passion, talent, so you think about all the opportunity costs that come with that."

We already know that Naughty Dog is working with HBO on a The Last of Us TV show, while a report by Bloomberg claims that a The Last of Us remake is currently in development at the studio. In addition, the report claims that a new Uncharted game is also in the works at Naughty Dog.

We expect that if Naughty Dog does choose to go ahead with The Last of Us 3, it could be a few years before we get our hands on it – after all, The Last of Us 2 released seven years after its predecessor. 

Vic Hood
Freelance writer

An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.