To be or not to be a third game? This question has haunted fans of Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic saga for several years. The first game hit the scene in 2013, the sequel reached players in 2020, and both have become firmly entrenched in the pantheon of the best story-driven action games. Remasters, remasters of remasters, a successful HBO adaptation—a world where mushroom monsters and human cruelty go hand in hand has long since become a home for millions.
The problem is different: the ending of the second game left the fates of Ellie and Abby so open that it feels more like an invitation to a sequel than a final point.
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If “The Last of Us Part 3” does happen, it will be the final point
Naughty Dog has been feeding fans with contradictory statements since 2020. In an interview with Variety (March 2025), studio head Neil Druckmann said, “I think the only thing I can say is, don’t count on a sequel. That might be it.” It sounded like a death sentence. But in the documentary Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II (2024), it’s quite different: “For years, I couldn’t find a concept for a third part. And recently, I finally did. I don’t have a finished story yet, but I have this idea. And for me, it’s just as cool as the first and second. And you know, it’s the thread that runs through all three games. So, yes, there will most likely be another chapter.”
So what should we believe? Officially, nothing. No one has announced The Last of Us Part III. Not Druckmann, not Naughty Dog itself. Besides, the studio is currently up to its ears in a new IP—Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. That’s the next major release. So, a third TLOU, even if it truly exists in the writers’ minds, is a distant prospect. But fans still agree on one thing: Ellie and Abby’s story clearly needs one more chord.
The Last of Us: Fans Not Ready to Say Goodbye
On Reddit (r/thelastofus), back in 2024, they were actively deconstructing Druckmann’s words from the documentary. The key detail that everyone latched onto was “one more chapter.” Not “three more,” not “as many more as it takes,” but exactly one. And the comments matched:
“I’m glad he’s talking about one chapter, not an endless grind. Ellie and Joel’s story deserves a proper ending,” they wrote in the top comments.
Another user added: “Please, please, don’t forget Abby and Lev. And I’d also like to see Ellie’s story conclude through a new character—maybe.”
But the most enthusiastic response came to a post about what the author considers the ideal ending for the entire trilogy:
“The first part is about love and the lengths you’re willing to go to protect. The second is about hate and how revenge burns everything within you. The third should be about hope. About finding purpose, solace, the strength to move on. Ellie could come to a better place—to heal. And Abby and Lev—to set out for a new horizon.”
Sounds logical. And damn right.
What’s the bottom line?
There’s no official news—and there likely won’t be any for the next couple of years. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is Naughty Dog’s number one priority. But the very fact that Druckmann agonizingly searched for “that one concept” for several years and suddenly found it is already a diagnosis. The story will happen. The question is when.
Meanwhile, fans are doing their thing: writing posts, creating art, rewatching the ending of the second game for the hundredth time, and debating whether Ellie should die or, conversely, find peace. Regardless of which option you prefer, one thing is already clear: no one is planning to say goodbye to the dark and beautiful world of The Last of Us. Not the players. Not, apparently, Naughty Dog itself.
