Naughty Dog has worked on a few IPs over its lifespan, but it's currently best known for The Last of Us. With a television series and a multiplayer game coming up, fans have plenty to please them. There have also been recent rumors that there may be a third The Last of Us game in development.This is good news for franchise fans, but it would be an odd move for the studio. If the rumor is true, it suggests Naughty Dog is putting all its eggs in one basket with The Last of Us. It also brings to question the other original IP that the studio has been rumored to be working on.
Is The Last of Us Part 3 in Development?
There has been plenty of evidence that Naughty Dog is quite busy. In addition to The Last of Us multiplayer title that gamers have been patiently waiting for, there have been rumors swirling around that the studio is working on a new game. This has been motivated by cryptic tweets from Druckmann and job listings from Naughty Dog. The curiosity surrounding what the studio is up to has been heightened by a recent interview Druckmann did with New Yorker. He revealed that Naughty Dog's next game will be structured like a TV show and that the script will be written by an entire writer's room.
In a Tweet by a prominent leaker @ViewerAnon, it was claimed that Naughty Dog is working on The Last of Us Part 3. Although this is not an official confirmation, the leaker has previously revealed details about the upcoming The Last of Us television adaptation. This should be exciting news for fans of the franchise. However, it does leave gamers with a lot of questions regarding the future of Naughty Dog and its IPs.
Is Naughty Dog Sticking to One IP?
Over the years, Naughty Dog has worked on quite a few IPs, including Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted. For a while, after the release of The Last of Us 2, there were murmurs that the studio is working on a new IP. Some rumors suggested that it may be a sci-fi game, perhaps one based on the Savage Starlight series mentioned in The Last of Us. The news that the next game from the studio may be another The Last of Us game could throw a wrench in that theory. If the leaker is correct, it could be an indication that Naughty Dog is moving toward throwing all its weight behind The Last of Us. With this in mind, it is worth remembering that Naughty Dog is a large studio, and it could be working on multiple games simultaneously, though the studio likely unites for a franchise as important as The Last of Us.
Is It Truly Over For Uncharted?
It has been a few years since gamers have enjoyed a new Uncharted game. Naughty Dog has continued to show interest in the franchise through the Uncharted movie and the Legacy of Thieves collection which brought the franchise to PC. These activities have had gamers hoping that maybe they would be getting one more adventure from Uncharted. If the leak is true, it appears that Naughty Dog has mostly abandoned Nathan Drake for Ellie and that gamers should be expecting zombies instead of treasure hunting in the studio's future.
Because the information is not coming from an official source, gamers should take it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, it does raise questions regarding the studio's future. Although the success of The Last of Us cannot be denied, having the studio focus on one IP could be a risky move should the franchise fall out of favor. It also results in other beloved franchises such as Uncharted getting neglected.
