Naughty Dog Confirms Two New The Last of Us Projects in Development

The Last of Us Day brought plenty of familiar activities this year, including interviews, cosplay content, and a charity livestream. However, the biggest news arrived toward the end of the event. Neil Druckmann, the creative director of the series, confirmed that Naughty Dog is once again working on new projects set in The Last of Us universe.

The announcement is particularly interesting because the studio is not working on just one idea. According to Druckmann, two separate The Last of Us projects are currently in development, although both are still at a very early stage. At this point, Naughty Dog has not revealed their names, release windows, platforms, or even the formats they will take.

What has been confirmed is that both projects are intended to expand the official canon of The Last of Us beyond the stories told in Part I and Part II.

Two New Projects Will Expand The Last of Us Universe

Druckmann revealed that Naughty Dog has two new projects in the very early stages of development. While details remain extremely limited, he made it clear that both projects will explore the world of The Last of Us beyond the events and stories players have already experienced.

The use of the term “canon” is arguably the most important part of the announcement. It suggests that these projects are not simply experimental ideas or unrelated stories inspired by the franchise. Instead, they are expected to become official parts of The Last of Us narrative universe.

That naturally raises a lot of questions. Could one of these projects eventually become The Last of Us Part III? Could Naughty Dog be considering a smaller-scale spin-off? Or could one of the projects take the franchise into an entirely different format?

For now, none of those possibilities have been confirmed.

Naughty Dog has only referred to them as “projects,” and there is currently no information indicating whether they are full-scale games, spin-offs, expansions, or something else entirely. Fans will therefore have to wait before drawing conclusions about what the studio is actually preparing.

Naughty Dog Says There Are More Stories Worth Telling

Perhaps the most revealing part of Druckmann’s comments was his explanation of why Naughty Dog decided to return to The Last of Us.

The studio has previously faced questions about whether the franchise should continue after the events of The Last of Us Part II. Rather than simply producing another installment because the series remains popular, Druckmann emphasized that Naughty Dog believes there are stories worth telling within this universe.

That distinction is important.

The Last of Us is a franchise built heavily around its characters, themes, and emotional storytelling. Simply continuing the series would not necessarily be enough to justify another project. Druckmann’s comments suggest that Naughty Dog believes it has found ideas that can meaningfully add to the world rather than simply repeat what has already been done.

However, these projects are still so early in development that it may be years before players see anything concrete.

There are no announced characters, settings, gameplay details, or story information at this stage. Naughty Dog also has not indicated which of the two projects is further along or whether both will eventually reach full production.

The Future of The Last of Us Is Still Unclear

The announcement comes at an interesting point for the franchise.

Naughty Dog previously canceled The Last of Us Online, choosing to focus its resources elsewhere. The studio’s current major project is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, meaning these newly confirmed The Last of Us projects are unlikely to become the studio’s immediate priority.

At the same time, HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us continues to expand the franchise on television, with the third season in development. This means the series is now moving forward across multiple fronts, even though Naughty Dog itself has remained relatively quiet about the future of its games.

The confirmation of two new projects finally provides some clarity. Naughty Dog has not abandoned The Last of Us, and the studio is actively considering new stories within its established universe.

What remains unknown is perhaps more interesting than what has been revealed.

There is currently no confirmation of The Last of Us Part III. There is also no indication that either project will directly continue Ellie and Abby’s stories. Naughty Dog could choose to explore completely different characters, locations, or periods within the timeline.

That opens up a considerable number of possibilities without locking the studio into another traditional sequel.

What Could the Two Projects Be?

It is too early to identify either project with any certainty, but the wording used by Druckmann leaves the door open to several possibilities.

One project could eventually become a major new entry in the series, while the other could explore a smaller story within the same universe. Naughty Dog could also be experimenting with a completely different type of experience that uses The Last of Us setting without following the structure of the previous games.

For now, however, speculation should remain just that.

The studio has not announced the projects’ titles, platforms, release dates, or formats. Any claim that one of them is definitely The Last of Us Part III would go beyond the information currently available.

What we do know is that Naughty Dog sees enough potential in the world of The Last of Us to continue developing new canon stories.

Naughty Dog Isn’t Finished With The Last of Us

For fans who believed The Last of Us Part II might mark the end of Naughty Dog’s involvement with the franchise, this announcement changes that picture.

The studio is now working on two new The Last of Us projects, both of which are intended to expand the canon beyond the existing games. They are still in the earliest stages of development, so major details may remain hidden for quite some time.

For now, the safest conclusion is also the simplest: The Last of Us is not finished at Naughty Dog.

Exactly where the studio takes the franchise next remains a mystery. Whether these projects eventually become major games, smaller spin-offs, or something completely unexpected, Naughty Dog has confirmed that there are more stories it wants to tell in this universe.

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