Neil Druckmann confirms new The Last of Us projects in the works

Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann has confirmed that new projects set in The Last of Us universe are currently in development, although they are still a long way from being revealed.

The studio previously hinted that it wasn’t finished with the franchise following the release of the documentary Grounded II, which explored the making of The Last of Us Part II. Now, Druckmann has provided the clearest indication yet that there are more stories to come.

“We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages – so we can’t say much about them at this point,” he revealed in a blog post for The Last of Us Day.

New TLOU projects set to “expand the canon”

Exactly what form those projects will take remains a mystery. Druckmann didn’t confirm whether either is a new game, so it’s unclear if one of them is The Last of Us Part III.

However, he did suggest that these new entries will flesh out the wider Last of Us universe, adding: “I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.”

Nothing has been revealed about their characters, settings, or where they might fit into the existing timeline, but it sounds like they could explore stories beyond Ellie and Joel.

Naughty Dog

No matter what these projects turn out to be, Druckmann has reassured fans that Naughty Dog wouldn’t revisit the series without good reason.

“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,” he continued. “We believe these stories are worth telling.”

There have been hints in the past that there’s more TLOU on the way, although this is the first official confirmation. Druckmann previously teased a “few stops that remain on the road ahead,” and Troy Baker said that he expects Joel to reappear later down the line.

Fans also have Season 3 of the HBO show to look forward to in 2027, which is expected to be the final batch of episodes.