Nya The Last of Us-spel – Idéer och alternativ

This week, Naughty Dog finally shed some light on The Last of Us franchise's future. Long-standing rumors and speculation have been confirmed— the studio is indeed working on new projects set in the universe, although the exact number is unknown and all projects are still in the early stages of development.

Given the studio's confirmation and the potential The Last of Us holds, there are several directions the franchise could take moving forward. Below, you'll find out about the main ones.

The Last of Us Part III – New Chapter Featuring Ellie

The most obvious option for the series’ future, of course, is a full-fledged third installment of the franchise with Ellie in the lead role. The Last of Us Part II left the door open for the character, but for now, it’s hard to imagine what she might do next. One possibility is searching for other immune people—something that Neil Druckmann, the head of Naughty Dog, admitted he wanted to explore in the second title, but the priority shifted toward the confrontation between Ellie and Abby. And from the protagonist’s perspective, this would also be a logical next step. Such a plot for The Last of Us Part III could also, even if only briefly, feature Dina and JJ; even though Ellie arrives at an empty farm at the end of The Last of Us Part II, the theory about the Dina's bracelet on her wrist —which seems quite plausible—explains why she isn’t surprised by her family’s absence.

The Last of Us Spin-Off About Joel and Tommy, Set in the Past

As Neil Druckmann stated in a commentary on the future regarding The Last of Us, the new projects “will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.” Given how much players love Joel—whose death at the very beginning of the second game sparked a huge amount of outrage—it’s possible that one of the upcoming The Last of Us projects will once again put him in the spotlight. Perhaps we’ll get a prequel where we learn how the hero coped with the loss of his daughter and see the 20-year period from the start of the outbreak that was left out. Interestingly, Troy Baker—the voice of Joel— has previously expressed this idea, adding that such a game could also explore what happened between Joel and his brother Tommy, which fits perfectly with the aforementioned quote from the head of the development studio.

The Last of Us Spin-Off About Abby and Lev

We shouldn’t forget about Abby, the second playable character in The Last of Us Part II. As we recall, at the end of that game, she sails away with Lev on a boat, and her destination remains unknown. Earlier, they learned of the existence of the Fireflies on Catalina Island. It’s quite possible that, after recovering from the battle with Ellie, Abby and her companion will decide to set out in search of the remaining members of the Fireflies, and this journey is unlikely to be an easy one for them, given the geography, the distance from Santa Barbara, and the gameplay possibilities that Naughty Dog could explore—such as introducing new dangerous factions or types of monsters.

A Completely New Story or Related to Fireflies

Developers could also take a riskier approach by making the upcoming installments entirely fresh stories—with new characters and settings. This approach would allow Naughty Dog to significantly expand the franchise’s lore by exploring the consequences of the infection in another part of the U.S. or beyond its borders. They could also try telling a story from the perspective of the Fireflies, one of the most prominent factions in the first two games. However, given Neil Druckmann’s statement mentioned above regarding the canon expansion, it’s unlikely the studio would want to make new games that aren’t sequels to the old ones. It’s more likely that we’ll see, for instance, a prequel about Joel and Tommy’s past and, hypothetically, The Last of Us Part III, which will conclude Ellie’s story—after which Naughty Dog will be free to experiment with the franchise by developing entirely new stories.

In any case, Naughty Dog’s future looks bright in light of recent news. The studio has also confirmed next year they will unveil Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, their new IP that, according to rumors, will also be released in 2027. Additionally, reports have recently surfaced suggesting work is underway on a new Uncharted game, which will release after Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet but before the next The Last of Us titles. However, most of the developers’ resources are currently focused on the new IP, so don’t expect any early announcements regarding new games in their established franchises.