Naughty Dog is actively developing two new projects intended to expand the narrative canon of The Last of Us franchise, according to studio head Neil Druckmann. These new endeavors will explore stories beyond the events of the first two main installments.
Druckmann announced the news as part of the annual Outbreak Day celebrations, a date commemorating the in-universe onset of the Cordyceps brain infection. He stated in a Naughty Dog blog post that the studio has been considering the possibility of continuing to tell stories within The Last of Us universe since the release of "Grounded II." "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. "I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II. 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. We believe these stories are worth telling."
While Druckmann referred to these as "projects" rather than explicitly stating they would be video games, the implication leans towards new interactive experiences given Naughty Dog's primary focus. However, the possibility of other media, such as television, film, comics, or books, has not been ruled out.
Fans will likely need to exercise patience, as Naughty Dog is also working on its upcoming action game, "Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet," which was revealed in 2024. The development timeline for these new Last of Us projects remains uncertain. In the interim, players can revisit Naughty Dog's previous entries in the series, including reviews for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II.