Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann has confirmed that the studio has future plans for The Last of Us franchise, despite having no creative involvement in the upcoming third season of HBO's television adaptation. Druckmann stated that he and the studio were not involved in shaping the creative direction of the season.
"Naughty Dog did not have a creative role in the direction of this season," Druckmann told The Washington Post. He emphasized Naughty Dog's continued stewardship of the intellectual property, suggesting that this is not the end of their engagement with the universe.
"It's important for us to note that as the creator of the games, Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP and even though this might be the end of this adaptation," he added, "we're not done with The Last of Us. There's a couple projects in the works that, when the time is right, I'm very excited to talk about."
The exact nature of these future projects remains undisclosed. Possibilities include a direct sequel, The Last of Us Part 3, or a revival of the previously canceled The Last of Us Online multiplayer game. Naughty Dog is currently focused on its next project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which recently completed its cinematic shooting phase but does not yet have a release window.