The Last of Us 3 release date may be closer than you think. The speculation over the next installment in the best-selling and award-winning action-adventure series from Naughty Dog and PlayStation is the result of a new update from the former, via the mouth of Neil Druckmann, the studio head of Naughty Dog and the co-creator of The Last of Us, a series he shepherds as its creative director.
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Speaking to Ken Levine, the creator of BioShock, Druckmann supposedly revealed in a recent podcast appearance that he has been working on his current project since 2020. He does not say this project is The Last of Us 3, but this is presumably what it is. It is possible he and his team at Naughty Dog are working on a new IP, or even an Uncharted revival, however, considering the success of the TV show, which will need new content after it finishes covering the events of the second game, it is almost certainly The Last of Us 3.
According to Druckmann, PlayStation has given him a ton of freedom with the project, which isn’t surprising to hear considering his pedigree and importance to PlayStation. However, what he hasn’t been given control of is when it will be revealed.
That said, if the game has been in the works since 2020 that means it has been in the works for four years, and is presumably quite far along in development as a result.
While this may come as a surprise to some PlayStation fans, it isn’t that surprising when you analyze the timeline of Naughty Dog, which last shipped a game, The Last of Us Part 2, in 2020. In other words, it makes sense something else has been in the works since then.
Further examination of the Naughty Dog timeline suggests whatever this mystery game is, it’s not very far away. Four years separated the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog’s previous two major releases. It has now been four years since the release of The Last of Us Part 2. To this end, it seems safe to assume whatever this game is, it is probably not very far away. Whether it will be ready for a reveal and release in 2025, remains to be seen, but it is certainly on the table as a possibility when you consider the developer’s track record of releases and their development times.
