Highlights

  • The Last of Us Part 3 may feature new characters and a potential time jump, but specific details about the story have not been confirmed.
  • Neil Druckmann struggled to come up with a concept for the third game, but now has an idea that he believes is a worthy follow-up.
  • While not explicitly confirming The Last of Us Part 3, Druckmann hinted that there may be one more chapter to this story.

The Last of Us Part 2's making-of documentary, Grounded 2, premiered today on February 2 and revealed some interesting details about a potential follow-up title. During the documentary, The Last of Us Part 2's Neil Druckmann shared his progress in developing a story for the series' third entry.

In the summer of 2023, leaks claimed that The Last of Us Part 3 would follow a new group of survivors for at least part of its story. The new characters would either encounter or exist in parallel to Ellie, who was claimed to be just as important as always in The Last of Us Part 3. Since then, these leaks have not been confirmed and could have been completely fabricated, so users should take them with a grain of salt. However, series creator Neil Druckmann has shared some much more credible details about his efforts in creating the next Last of Us.

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At the end of Grounded 2, Druckmann explained that he had struggled for years to come up with a proper concept for The Last of Us Part 3, but recently constructed one that he believes is a worthy follow-up to the second game. His concept for a third title is its "own thing," but maintains a throughline from the first two games, which focused on themes like love and justice. Druckmann did not offer any specific details on the potential sequel's story and explained that it's currently in the conceptual stage. It seems likely that Ellie will still be featured in The Last of Us Part 3, but it sounds like the next game may see something like a time jump or introduce multiple new, major characters. However, this is purely speculation. Druckmann did not explicitly confirm that The Last of Us Part 3 is on its way, but did say that there's "probably one more chapter to this story."

The Last of Us Creator Neil Druckmann Comments on The Last of Us Part 3

Druckmann also explained that The Last of Us Part 2 ended in a way that neatly tied up the series' themes and that he wasn't sure whether a third game would need to be made. However, his new idea for a third game is exciting enough that he now seems enthusiastic about delivering a third The Last of Us title. Druckmann explained that the new concept is just as exciting to him as the concepts for the first and second games, which are widely regarded as masterpieces.

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Druckmann previously expressed interest in telling a Last of Us story centered around Tommy, Joel's brother. Initially, it was reported that this could be Naughty's Dog approach for a third title, but during Grounded 2, Druckmann explained that the Tommy-centered idea was never planned to be a mainline game, but rather a smaller project that may still end up becoming a smaller-scale game or a show.