Late last month, rumors emerged that Naughty Dog head creative Neil Druckmann would be moving directly onto The Last of Us Part 3 as his next project. The info, which came from a source known for accurate movie leaks, but that seldom waded into the world of video games, was met with a mixed reception. Understandably, some were excited about more TLOU, but others were perhaps hoping for a respite from Druckmann’s grim post-apocalyptic world.
Well, those The Last of Us Part 3 rumors are starting to look a bit shaky. As part of a New Year’s message, Neil Druckmann specifically urged fans to be wary of insiders, as much of what they report is false. While Druckmann doesn’t specifically mention TLOU3, that’s really the only big rumor that’s circulated about Druckmann and Naughty Dog recently, so there’s a good chance that’s what he’s talking about.
Happy New Year, peeps! As always, thank you so much for the incredible support. We got lots of cool stuff coming next year that we can’t wait to share with y’all! (P.S. be wary of “insider” info. Much of it is false.) pic.twitter.com/QSYTqiybmv
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) January 1, 2023
For what it’s worth, Geoff Keighley also popped in with the ol’ side-eye emoji.
👀
— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) January 1, 2023
Of course, maybe Druckmann is just trying to muddy the waters, and TLOU3 really is the next thing. We’ll have to wait and see. Back in 2020, around the time Naughty Dog was wrapping TLOU2, Druckmann said he wasn’t sure if a third entry in the series or a new IP was next for him. What we do know, is a writer’s room has already been assembled for what’s next, and that it may be more TV-like and episodic in structure.
And hey, Druckmann already has plenty of announced things to keep him busy, including The Last of Us HBO series, which debuts on January 15, and the new The Last of Us multiplayer project, which is currently without a solid release window.
What do you think? Is Druckmann jumping straight into The Last of Us Part 3? Or is Naughty Dog going to try their hand at something new?
