The originalThe Last of Usended ambiguously but didn’t necessitate a sequel. However, Neil Druckmann and the team at Naughty Dog felt there were more stories to tell in that world, resulting in the equally impressiveThe Last of Us Part 2.Unlike the first game, though, the sequel left many questions unanswered that demanded at least one moreupcoming video game.
Initially, the team was working on a multiplayer spinoff calledThe Last of Us Online,however, we now know that project has been abandoned and the team is once again focusing on single-player games. One of those games is indeedThe Last of Us Part 3.Naughty Dog is considered one of the best studios at PlayStation, alongside Insomniac and itsupcoming PS5 gameMarvel’s Wolverineand Suckerpunch’sGhost of Yotei.
While it was initially ambiguous, we can now for sure say a third chapter is on the way, but what other bits of information have we been able to scavenge while sneaking around Clickers? Activate your listen mode so you catch all the details we have onThe Last of Us Part 3.
If you’re looking for the bestupcoming Xbox Series X gamesorupcoming Switch games, you won’t find this title there. However, it could end up on the list ofupcoming PC gamesif PlayStation continues its trend of bringing its exclusives to that platform.
The Last of Us Part 3 release date speculation
While we know thatThe Last of Us Part 3is at least being worked on in some capacity at Naughty Dog, we have no idea how far along it is or when we can expect to see it. At The Game Awards in December 2024, Naughty Dog announced a brand new sci-fi titleIntergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, suggesting thatThe Last of Us Part 3is going to launch even later than we initially thought.
Based on the incredible level of polish and attention to detail the studio likes to put into its games, it is possible we won’t seeThe Last of Us Part 3until 2027 or later.
The Last of Us Part 3 platforms
The only thing we know for sure is thatThe Last of Us Part 3will be on PlayStation platforms, specifically the PS5. Unless the game takes so long that a next-generation system comes out and the team decides not to make it cross-generational, you can feel safe knowing it will be playable on your PS5.
Since both previous games have made their way to PC,The Last of Us Part 3likely will too. Previous games took over a year to arrive on PC, and while things may change by the time the game finally arrives, it is safe to assume PC players will wait at least a full year before it comes to that platform.
There’s not a single trailer, screenshot, or even piece of concept art forThe Last of Us Part 3. All we have for now are a few words about its existence in the most high-level way.
The first real word about Naughty Dog working on single-player projects came with itsstatement on the cancellation ofThe Last of Online,in which the studio states “We have more than one ambitious, brand new singl- player game that we’re working on here at Naughty Dog, and we cannot wait to share more about what comes next when we’re ready.”
With the release ofThe Last of Us Part 2Remastered,we also got the making-of documentary calledGrounded 2.At the very end, Druckmann spoke about a possible third entry. “I’ve been thinking about, ‘Is there a concept there?’ And for now years, I haven’t been able to find that concept. But recently, that’s changed. I don’t have a story, but I do have that concept that, to me, is as exciting asI, as exciting asII, is its own thing, yet has this throughline for all three. So it does feel like there’s probably one more chapter to this story.”
While it isn’t technically confirmed to be related toThe Last of Us Part 3, Troy Baker, who played Joel in both games, had aninterview with GQmainly focused onIndiana Jones and the Great Circlein which he confirms to be part of whatever Druckmann’s next game is. Technically, this could be one of the other projects the studio has said it is working on, especially since we know the fate of Joel. However, there are plenty of ways Joel, or even a new character played by Troy, could feature in a third game.
Take the following with a grain of salt, but a leaker namedDaniel Richtman reported on his Patreonthat he has insight thatThe Last of Us Part 3is not only real but already in the process of filming. He claims the story will focus on a group of survivors hunkered down in a large Victorian house led by a woman named Val who is in conflict with a man named Mason who is attempting to overthrow Val as the leader. Ezra is detailed as conflicted between whether they want to side with Val or Mason, and Lucas is described as having a relationship with a scavenger and may present some sort of dark turn in the story. There is also mention of a young girl named Gracie, but no other details were shared about her.
BothThe Last of Usgames follow a similar stealth-action style of gameplay with limited resources and light horror elements. We suspect the third game to at least use this same base, but include new weapons, enemies, and mechanics in the same way the sequel evolved over the first.
The Last of Us Part 3is only barely announced, let alone deep in development. It could be a long time before we see it, so preorders are still a long way away.
