The Last of Us 2 Director Teases New Game

Everyone wants to know what Naughty Dog -- the studio behind The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Jax and Daxter -- is working on. The studio hasn't released a proper new game since 2020's The Last of Us Part II. Since then, it's released Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and The Last of Us Part I on PS5, but not a new game. We know it's currently working on a multiplayer game within The Last of Us universe, and it's likely also working on The Last of Us Part 3, but could it be working on a third mystery game?

During a recent interview, Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann noted he's "working on another game." And when specifically asked about a third game in The Last of Us series, Druckmann smiled and then said, "as far as the next game at Naughty Dog, I can't say anything." This was followed up by "my communication director over there will slaughter me" if he divulged any more information. 

Many have taken this mystery game tease to be The Last of Us 3, and it probably is, but what's the point of teasing a game that many already see as a forgone conclusion. To be fair, Druckmann was specifically asked about a hypothetical third game in the series before issuing this tease, but it remains possible this could be a different game entirely. 

What probably isn't is a new Uncharted game. While there's reason to believe a new Uncharted game is in the works, unless Naughty Dog expanded substantially, it's not at Naughty Dog. That said, even if it's not at Naughty Dog, Druckmann could still be working on it in some capacity, such as a creative consultant. So, the mystery game could be this. 

Alas, right now, all we have is speculation. Occam's razor suggests the simplest explanation is usually the best one, which would suggests this is probably in reference to The Last of Us 3. Given the popularity of the new TV show and the prestige of the series, it makes sense a third game would be made, however, at the same time, The Last of Us 2 was a bit contentious so it may not be a terrible idea to give it a break for a bit.

H/T, Entertainment Weekly.