Naughty Dog Has Two New Last of Us Projects in the Works Alongside Intergalactic

Naughty Dog has quietly revealed that it is working on two new projects set in The Last of Us universe, while development continues on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The news comes as the studio shared an update for The Last of Us Day, giving fans a clearer idea of what is happening behind the scenes and what to expect from Naughty Dog over the next few years.

Neil Druckmann closed out The Last of Us Day by thanking fans for continuing to support the series and its characters. He also highlighted the community's support for AbleGamers during the studio's stream, which raised $11,000.

The biggest update, however, came when Naughty Dog addressed whether there will be more stories set in The Last of Us world. According to the studio, it has discussed returning to the series since Grounded 2, and it now has a couple of new projects in the very early stages.

Naughty Dog did not reveal what either project is, but the studio confirmed both will expand The Last of Us canon beyond Part One and Part Two. The team also made it clear it wouldn't return to the world unless it had something meaningful to say, suggesting these projects are being developed around stories the studio believes are worth telling.

That immediately opens up plenty of possibilities for what these two games could be.

One theory is that one of them could be The Last of Us Part Three, although there is currently no confirmation that a third mainline game is in development. Another possibility discussed by the community is a game focused on Tommy, which would allow Naughty Dog to explore a different character and period of the story.

Another question is multiplayer. Naughty Dog previously worked on a Factions multiplayer project before ultimately canceling it, so some have speculated that one of these new projects could return to that idea. However, nothing in the studio's announcement confirms that either project is multiplayer, and the available information only describes them as new stories that expand the world beyond the first two games.

Meanwhile, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet remains one of the biggest projects Naughty Dog has ever worked on. The studio says the game is shaping up to be its most ambitious title yet, with the team currently focused on bringing everything together.

Naughty Dog also confirmed that it will remain quiet about the game for the rest of 2026.

That silence will end in 2027. The studio says it will fully reveal Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet next year and give fans a proper look at Jordan's sci-fi adventure. Jordan is the game's main character, and Naughty Dog has already described the project as pushing the studio into new territory. Naughty Dog has not announced an official release date, but the announcement opens the door to a 2027 release window as a possibility. The studio is only promising a full reveal in 2027, so the launch timing remains unknown.

There has also been some discussion around when that reveal could happen. With Naughty Dog saying it will remain quiet for the rest of 2026, an appearance at The Game Awards later this year now seems less likely based on the studio's own statement. A State of Play sometime in early 2027 would be one possible place for the next major look, although that is speculation rather than something Naughty Dog has confirmed.

The studio's game director also gave fans a small glimpse into how development is progressing, joking that he gets to play Intergalactic every day. It doesn't reveal anything about the game itself, but it does suggest the project is far enough along internally for team members to play it regularly.

Troy Baker also praised the project while discussing Intergalactic and its lead character during The Last of Us Day.

Baker spoke highly of Tati Gabrielle, who plays Jordan, and compared the character and game to elements of both Uncharted and The Last of Us, while also describing it as something new. According to Baker, the team is testing the balance of what Naughty Dog can do as a studio, and what he has seen so far has impressed him. He also revealed that the cinematics had recently wrapped, giving another indication of how much work has already gone into the project.

Intergalactic is also being positioned as something separate from Naughty Dog's previous franchises. While the game may carry familiar elements from the studio's earlier work, it is ultimately a new science-fiction adventure centered around Jordan.

That is particularly interesting because Naughty Dog has now confirmed two more Last of Us projects at the same time. It seems the studio is branching out into multiple projects rather than jumping straight into another Uncharted game.

There's also been no announcement for a new Uncharted project.

There has been talk of the series returning, but Naughty Dog's latest update doesn't suggest an Uncharted game is among the projects they've confirmed to be in development right now. The studio has also built a reputation around stories led by strong central characters, with Ellie in The Last of Us and Jordan in Intergalactic being two examples. If Naughty Dog ever returns to Uncharted, speculation suggests a future game could shift the focus to Drake's daughter while still including Nathan Drake, but no official project is based on that idea.

For now, the confirmed picture is fairly straightforward. Naughty Dog has Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in development, while two additional projects set in The Last of Us universe are in their early stages. The studio is keeping quiet about the new Last of Us games, so their characters, stories, gameplay, and release plans remain unknown.

Intergalactic is the project that Naughty Dog plans to show next. After staying quiet for the remainder of 2026, the studio says 2027 will bring a full reveal of Jordan's adventure. With two other projects also beginning development, Naughty Dog's next few years are starting to take shape, even if much of what comes after Intergalactic remains under wraps.