Is The Last of Us Part 3 in Development? Rumors, News & Fan Responses

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Plus what’s coming up in season 3 of HBO’s The Last of Us show

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: June 22, 2025 Fact Checked

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Will there be a Last of Us Part 3?

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Fan Opinions

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HBO’s The Last of Us Season 3

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Naughty Dog’s Next Projects

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Video

After the success of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us (TLoU) throughout two amazing games (and a hit HBO TV show), many fans have asked, “Will there be a part 3 of The Last of Us?” So far, Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann’s answer has been a solid…maybe. In this article, we’ll answer all of your burning questions about the future of The Last of Us, including the probability of a Part 3 to the video game series and what’s up next in season 3 of the TV adaptation. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Is The Last of Us Part 3 Coming?

Possibly, although The Last of Us Part 3 has not been confirmed. Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann said he has a “concept” for a third game, but made no promises on the future of the franchise. Meanwhile, the third season of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation is confirmed and set to focus on Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) story.

Section 1 of 4:

Will there be a The Last of Us Part 3 game?

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Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann expressed interest in a third installment (on one condition). On a May 2025 episode of the Sacred Symbols+ podcast, Druckmann (Naughty Dog’s co-president) was asked about the possibility of TLoU Part 3. He said, “If we were ever to come back to it, I want to make sure it’s a story worthy of The Last of Us. I love that world, I love these characters. With the right opportunity, with the right idea—yeah, I would totally jump at it.”^{[1]
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- Most of Druckmann’s interviews and statements regarding the future of The Last of Us (as a video game) have been pretty ambiguous. It seems he’s open to the possibility of another game, but nothing is set in stone.
- Currently, Druckmann is also the co-showrunner of HBO’s TV adaptation of The Last of Us with Craig Mazin.
- In his podcast interview, he said, “I feel like, with the best TV makers at HBO, we’re making the best version of that [The Last of Us].”^{[2]
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Druckmann mentioned having a possible concept for a third game. He made a cryptic statement about the franchise’s future in Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us Part II (a documentary that dropped in 2024). “For years now, 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 as 1, as exciting as 2, is its own thing, and yet has this throughline for all three.”
- Druckmann also added, “So it does feel like there's probably one more chapter to this story,” adding to the speculation that a third (and, apparently, final) Last of Us could still happen.
- During his Sacred Symbols+ interview, Druckmann referenced his previous comments (and confirmed his stance that he wants a good story before making another game).
- “I meant what I said in the documentary. While I’m the caretaker of this franchise, it’s important that everything is of high quality. I don’t want to just make a lot of it. I want to be very thoughtful about everything we make,” he said.^{[3]
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All in all, fans will have to wait for more news from Naughty Dog. Druckmann has confirmed having an idea for another game, but also stated that it must be “of high quality” before anything gets set in motion for a third game. So, fans hungry for more Last of Us have reason to hope, but there’s no definitive word on a TLoU “threequel” one way or another as of mid-2025.
- TLoU developer Naughty Dog is working on at least two other confirmed projects at the moment.

Section 2 of 4:

The Fan Response to a Possible Third Last of Us Game

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Fan opinion is divided on whether Part 3 would be a good thing. Some fans are excited at he possibility of a third game, wanting to see more of Ellie (and, potentially, Dina and Abby as well). On the other hand, some fans appear to worry that a third game wouldn’t expand the franchise or TLoU’s story (which has been critically acclaimed thus far) in any meaningful way.
- We’ll take a closer look at both sides of the argument below!
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Fans who want a third game feel there’s still room for Ellie to grow. She went through a lot in the first two TLoU games, first as humanity’s sole hope for a cure and then as a grief-stricken survivor blinded by the need for revenge. Those hoping for a third game wonder: Who might Ellie become now that she’s free of her hunt for vengeance? Could a third game see her start to heal from past traumas and build a future?^{[4]
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- Some fans acknowledge that Ellie’s story received a conclusion in Part 2, but would still like to see what happens after the Part 2 ending.
- Alternatively, some fans feel Ellie’s story is done, but believe there could be a sequel focusing on Abby and Lev (after Ellie spared Abby), instead.
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Other fans feel the Last of Us franchise has gone as far as it can. As mentioned above, the second game did wrap up Ellie’s (and Abby’s, Dina’s, and Joel’s) story, and many fans are satisfied with that. Some also feel it’d be extremely difficult to provide a quality follow-up to the groundbreaking narrative created in TLoU Part 2.
- As a game developer, Naughty Dog is known for its creativity and uniqueness. With such a bold, perspective-shifting narrative in Part 2, it’s possible that anything introduced in Part 3 just wouldn’t feel as groundbreaking.
- Of course, that doesn’t mean Naughty Dog couldn’t try to one-up themselves (as they have in the past).
- Still, some fans feel there’s a time to move on from one franchise and explore other concepts altogether—and that The Last of Us has reached this point.
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The Last of Us Part 2 had an open-ended conclusion. Spoiler alert!Part 2 leaves Ellie at a crossroads, having lost everything from her old life—her partner and adopted child, her community, her father figure, and even her fingers (the ones she used to play guitar). Her story is left very open-ended, with Ellie setting out alone, and some fans are happier with that than others.^{[5]
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- The fans who don’t want a third game feel that Part 2’s open-ended conclusion should be honored, not written over.
- The fans who want a third game feel that Ellie’s ambiguous ending was impactful, but not entirely satisfying (and could be expanded upon).

Section 3 of 4:

More About The Last of Us Season 3 (TV Show)

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The HBO series’ third season is confirmed and will focus on Abby’s story. The future of HBO’s The Last of Us season 3 is much more set in stone than a possible Part 3 game! The plot of The Last of Us Part 2 will be divided into at least three seasons, with Abby taking the spotlight during the show’s season 3. It’ll delve further into Abby’s crew, past, and motivations for doing everything she does—something the game does, too.^{[6]
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- During season 2’s ending, it was revealed that season 3 will primarily focus on the last few days covered in the show, from Abby’s perspective, rather than Ellie’s.
- Specifically, the ending of season 2 showed “Day One” from Abby’s perspective, which had already been shown through Ellie’s eyes.
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Ellie and Dina will still appear in Season 3 in reduced roles. It’s already been confirmed that Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced (Ellie and Dina’s actors, respectively) are returning for season 3. However, with Abby (played by Kaitlyn Dever) set to be the season’s main character, Ellie and Dina will presumably have more minor roles to play overall.^{[7]
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- Season 2 of the show ended in a cliffhanger fight; at the very least, Ellie and Dina will appear as the third season works up to their confrontation with Abby once again.
Ultimately, The Last of Us Part 2 (the game) returns to focus on Ellie after some time spent playing as Abby—thus, the show will undoubtedly do the same. Based on the game’s events, The Last of Us season 4 will see Ellie and Abby clash—and, likely, bring Ellie’s quest for vengeance to its conclusion.

Section 4 of 4:

What is Naughty Dog up to next?

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Currently, Naughty Dog’s next project is called Intergalactic. So, what is Naughty Dog doing if not working on The Last of Us Part 3? One of its two current projects has been formally announced: a futuristic action-adventure game called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which follows a bounty hunter as they track down a criminal syndicate on a remote planet.^{[8]
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- Additionally, a second unannounced project led by Shaun Escayg (the creative director of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy) is also in development.