The Last of Us Part III May Never Happen

Naughty Dog's creative director and co-president Neil Druckmann has been hesitant about the prospects of The Last of Us Part III. In a recent interview, Druckmann responded to continued speculation over the third chapter in the popular franchise by saying, "I was waiting for that question.  Talking about the possibilities of a third installment, the topic cautions against anticipating more of The Last of Us".

This news was a shock to fans, as The Last of Us is still one of the most popular and profitable games in PlayStation's lineup. The first game, released in 2013, was highly praised and sold over 30 million copies. The second game, The Last of Us Part II, released in 2020, was also ambitious but was panned for its polarizing narrative choices.

Despite receiving negative reviews, the sequel surpassed 10 million copies sold and even took home several Game of the Year awards. Druckmann's latest comments are a departure from his earlier attitude.  In previous interviews, he hinted at a third book, saying that there was "probably one more chapter" to the book. Now, though, the fate of the series seems no longer certain.

The majority of fans believe that the negative reaction to Part II led Naughty Dog to abandon the franchise. The game's narrative, which featured Joel's surprise death and the introduction of a polarizing secondary protagonist, was widely panned. Although the gameplay and graphics were well-received, some fans felt that the narrative lacked the same hope and despair that made the original so great.

Another significant problem that will determine the franchise's future is Naughty Dog's cancellation of the Last of Us multiplayer project. Originally planned as a live-service, big-budget game, the project was scrapped due to worries that it would be too expensive and keep the company from working on other things. The decision has increased speculation that Naughty Dog is canceling The Last of Us as a whole.

AAA game development has become ridiculously expensive, with titles costing more than hundreds of millions of dollars. While The Last of Us is a best-selling franchise, Naughty Dog and Sony are probably spending money on new ideas.  According to reports, the studio is in the process of developing a number of untitled projects, including a new IP called Heretic or Prophecy.

The fans' reactions to the news have varied. Some believe that the series should conclude on a positive note, and others believe that The Last of Us Part II left too many storylines dangling. The fans had expected a third installment to explore the possibilities of finding a cure for the Cordyceps virus or to bring about a definitive conclusion to Ellie's life.

One interesting question to ask is whether The Last of Us can continue in other forms even though there is no immediate plan for Part III. Since HBO's adaptation has been successful and production for Season 2 is ongoing, it's possible that the franchise's future lies in television instead of gaming. In addition, Druckmann's earlier statements regarding a "hopeful" ending raise some questions: Was there some kind of rough outline for Part III that got canceled? 

Would Naughty Dog ever go back to it in a decade, much like The Last of Us Part II took seven years to come out? Whether or not Druckmann's statement is a certain pronouncement of the end of the series remains to be seen, as much as it's also a dialing-back of expectations. With HBO's The Last of Us picking up pace, there is always hope that the franchise will make its return in one way or another—be it in a new game, TV follow-up, or whatever form.