Neil Druckmann has confirmed that Naughty Dog is developing two new projects set in the world of The Last of Us, even as the studio remains focused on getting Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet out the door.
Druckmann revealed the projects while closing out this year’s The Last of Us Day, although he offered almost no details about what Naughty Dog has planned.
“We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages – so we can’t say much about them at this point,” Druckmann wrote on Naughty Dog’s website. “I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.”
The Last of Us Part I (2022), Naughty Dog
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That wording leaves plenty of room for speculation. Druckmann did not say whether either project is The Last of Us Part III, nor did he even explicitly identify them as games.
However, he insisted Naughty Dog has a reason to revisit the franchise.
“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 added. “We believe these stories are worth telling.”
The announcement is particularly interesting because it comes as Druckmann and Naughty Dog face considerably more immediate questions about Intergalactic.
Naughty Dog Still Isn’t Ready to Show Intergalactic
Naughty Dog announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet during The Game Awards in December 2024. Nearly two years later, the studio still isn’t ready to show fans a substantial look at the game.
Druckmann confirmed that will finally change in 2027.
“The team is heads down on what is shaping up to be Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game yet,” he wrote. “There’s an electricity around the studio right now as all the pieces come together, and we’re stoked to finally unveil Intergalactic in all its glory.”
The main character for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – YouTube, Naughty Dog
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However, Naughty Dog will remain quiet for the remainder of 2026 before fully revealing the game next year.
That lengthy silence comes after Intergalactic experienced a decidedly mixed reception online. The original reveal trailer attracted considerable criticism, including complaints surrounding protagonist Jordan A. Mun, the game’s themes, and Naughty Dog’s creative direction.
Druckmann previously indicated that he had little interest in changing course because of that reaction.
“There’s stuff happening right now with media that you have to, I feel, ignore for the most part and just stick to your guns and do what you believe in,” Druckmann said last year.
Meanwhile, reports have raised questions about how smoothly development is progressing. GameSpot, citing Bloomberg, reported in December that Naughty Dog was targeting a mid-2027 release after allegedly missing several internal deadlines.
During one stretch, employees were reportedly instructed to work at least eight additional hours per week as the studio prepared a demo for Sony executives. Sony and Naughty Dog declined to comment on the allegations.
Druckmann’s latest update notably stops short of announcing a release date, leaving the reported 2027 launch window unconfirmed.
Druckmann Returned His Focus to Naughty Dog
The situation also provides additional context for Druckmann’s surprising decision to leave HBO’s The Last of Us before Season 3.
Druckmann announced his departure in July 2025, explaining that he wanted to return his “complete focus” to Naughty Dog, including writing and directing Intergalactic while fulfilling his responsibilities as studio head and head of creative.
Neil Druckmann speaking at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con International – Wikimedia Commons
His exit followed a difficult end to the show’s second season, which adapted some of the most controversial material from The Last of Us Part II. That included Joel’s death and the beginning of the story’s transition toward Abby, two elements that helped make the 2020 game intensely divisive among fans.
The television series largely stayed the course with that storyline rather than substantially departing from the game’s major plot developments. However, viewers didn’t stick around in the same numbers.
The finale attracted 3.7 million U.S. cross-platform viewers on its first night, down 30 percent from the Season 2 premiere and 55 percent from the Season 1 finale. HBO attributed some of that decline to the Memorial Day weekend and noted that Season 2 was nevertheless averaging nearly 37 million global viewers per episode with delayed viewing.
Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
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More than a year later, Druckmann’s decision to concentrate on Naughty Dog is beginning to look considerably larger than one game.
The studio now has Intergalactic approaching its full reveal while simultaneously beginning work on two more stories within its most recognizable franchise.
Whether either becomes The Last of Us Part III remains unknown. For now, Naughty Dog appears to be placing its immediate future on two very different bets: convincing skeptical players to embrace something completely new while ensuring The Last of Us remains very much alive.
What do you think these new The Last of Us projects are? Sound off and let us know!
