Naughty Dog may have just shipped one of the PS4’s greatest games, but it looks like the studio is already planning the development of its next game, and its first PS5 title. While Naughty Dog has already confirmed the team is taking a much-needed break following The Last of Us Part II, that doesn’t mean it’s not planning for what’s next. What this project will be, remains to be seen, but we do know it will be another single-player experience.
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The studio has posted a slew of new job listings, which don’t reveal much, but do provide a few general details about what the award-winning team has cooking. Across these listings is mention of single-player and “next-generation graphics analysis.” Meanwhile, a listing for a melee and gameplay animator specifically contains the following:
“We are looking for talented animators to help us create compelling gameplay for our future project(s),” reads the listing. “Work may include helping shape the hand-to-hand combat system and/or bringing the various enemy archetypes and supporting cast to life.”
Looking perhaps too deeply into this listing would suggest the studio’s next game will have hand-to-hand combat, but for now, while this wouldn’t be surprising, it’s far from a confirmed bit of information.
We know the studio has moved on from Uncharted, which, according to rumors, is now in the hands of Sony San Diego. Meanwhile, while Naughty Dog has suggested The Last of Us Part III is a possibility, it’s also said a new IP could be what’s next.
“As you start wrapping things up, creatively there are fewer and fewer responsibilities and my mind can’t help but think about the next thing,” said Druckmann back in June. “So, yeah, the next thing could be a Part III, the next thing could be some new IP.”
As always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think or hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. What do you want to see Naughty Dog make next? Personally, I’d like to see something brand new from it, and I suspect that’s exactly what we will get.
