Naughty Dog confirms two new 'The Last of Us Projects' are in early development

Naughty Dog has confirmed that two new The Last of Us projects are in the very early stages of development, with both set to expand the franchise’s canon beyond The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II.

Studio head Neil Druckmann shared the update on September 28 as part of a message marking the end of The Last of Us Day 2026. He said Naughty Dog has been discussing the possibility of telling more stories within the franchise since the release of the Grounded II documentary.

“We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages,” Druckmann said, while noting that the studio cannot reveal much about them yet.

Druckmann confirmed that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond the events and stories established in the first two games. However, Naughty Dog has not revealed whether the projects are games, their potential titles, the characters involved or when they could be released.

The announcement also does not confirm The Last of Us Part III. While Druckmann had previously said Naughty Dog was not finished with The Last of Us, the studio has now only confirmed that two projects are being developed within the franchise’s wider canon.

“The world of The Last of Us means a great deal to us, and we wouldn’t return to it unless we had something meaningful to say,” Druckmann said. “We believe these stories are worth telling.”

Naughty Dog also provided an update on its next major game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The studio said it will remain quiet for the rest of 2026 but plans to fully reveal the game and provide a closer look at its sci-fi adventure in 2027.