The Last of Us has gone from amazing games to a great TV adaptation, but perhaps it’s time to talk about the potential third game in the series.

Image by Dean Takahashi, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Last of Us has gone beyond its gaming roots and is now beloved for its TV adaptation. It’s been more than four years since the release of The Last of Us Part 2 and there still hasn’t been any news about a third entry into the series.

Despite the second game’s somewhat mixed reception, it sold well. And with the renewed hype from the HBO series, it’s likely that a third entry is coming. No official announcement has been made, but series creator Neil Druckmann has previously hinted at its development.

The Last of Us Part 3 Could Give Fans More of Ellie’s Story

When The Last of Us Part 2 was released, the game’s story divided the fanbase, with many even outright hating it. But with time, people game around, and even with the negativity, it became a commercial success.

Naughty Dog, the studio behind The Last of Us, has a history of creating trilogies or multi-part series. The Uncharted and Jak and Daxter series are the main examples of the studio’s tendency to prefer long, fleshed-out stories.

The studio has also pulled one over on fans before when it started making The Last of Us Part 2 immediately after the release of the Left Behind DLC for the first game. If the developers have chosen to be sneaky again, the third entry in the series might be coming sooner than we think.

Neil Druckmann has always been a master of suspense and narrative misdirection. He has previously hinted at a concept for a third game, though he stopped short of confirming its development. He also noted that while the story of Ellie and Abby could be seen as complete, there’s room for another chapter.

A Third Entry Makes Sense From All Angles

The series is one of the biggest and has gone beyond just games. | Image Credit: Naughty Dog

Sony and Naughty Dog are well aware of the lucrative potential that another game in the series could bring. The two games are some of the biggest in the market, and the HBO adaptation was received very well. The show is even getting a second season soon.

As fans online have put it, “they’re sitting on a gold mine.” Setting aside reasons like story continuation and any other narrative choices, it would be an easy decision to green-light a title with so much fan demand already.

The speculation for the third title in the series also brings up the question of how long Naughty Dog will continue to focus on the franchise. Druckmann has expressed a desire to explore new projects. So, while The Last of Us may continue for now, it won’t be the studio’s sole focus.

The video game industry is truly unpredictable. We’ve gotten random sequel announcements that make no sense. We’ve seen highly anticipated titles be delayed, canceled, and flop. Until any official news comes out regarding a third The Last of Us game, all we can do is wait.