While a third installment of The Last of Us video game series remains uncertain, co-creator Neil Druckmann has shared insights into a potential concept for Ellie’s next, and possibly final, adventure…
Despite the immense success of the previous The Last of Us games developed by Naughty Dog, the announcement of a third installment to conclude the storyline has yet to materialize. While many anticipated a continuation of the series, The Last of Us Part III has not been officially confirmed.
Speculation about the development of Part III circulated early last year, but Neil Druckmann, the co-creator, promptly refuted these claims.
However, the co-president of Naughty Dog later provided a slightly more optimistic update.
“I know there’s a bunch of people wondering about The Last of Us Part 3 and whether that will be a thing or not,” Druckmann told Buzzfeed. “All I could say is, at Naughty Dog we’re very, very privileged that our publisher is Sony — which means Sony funds our games, supports us, and we’re owned by Sony.”
“Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2 and that will be the end.”
“Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2 and that will be the end.”
At the end of Part II, Ellie chooses to break the cycle of vengeance by sparing Abby’s life and returning home, albeit with a physical reminder of her journey. However, upon her return, Ellie discovers that Dina and baby JJ have departed, leaving her alone. As she sits with her guitar, she reflects on her attempt to reconcile with Joel and the night she struggled to forgive him.
With a heavy heart, Ellie sets the guitar aside and walks away, uncertain of what lies ahead.
The final sequence is undeniably powerful and haunting, and as Druckmann aptly observes, it could serve as a fitting conclusion to the story if a third game never materializes. However, there’s still hope for The Last of Us Part III to see the light of day!
In the newly released Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II feature documentary, Druckmann hints at a potential follow-up to Part II, mentioning that he has a concept in mind for the next installment. He emphasizes that the story would be just as thrilling as the first two games, maintaining its unique identity while connecting all three.
Although Druckmann doesn’t divulge any specifics, he does emphasize that if a third game isn’t in the cards, he views Part II as a more than satisfactory conclusion to the series.
“The first game had such a clean concept of the unconditional love a parent feels for their child. The second one, once we landed on this idea of the pursuit of justice at any cost, justice for the ones you love, it felt like there’s a clean concept here and there’s a through-line from the first game about love. If we never get to do it again, this is a fine ending point. The last bite of the apple, the story’s done.”
Now you can experience The Last of Us Part II Remastered on PS5! Be sure to watch the accompanying documentary below (it’s definitely worth your time)and share your thoughts on what you hope to see in a potential third game in the comments.
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