The Last of Us Part 3, while not officially announced, seems increasingly likely to be in development over at the award-winning first-party Sony studio, Naughty Dog.
The acclaimed studio, known for its narrative-driven single-player games, recently made headlines with the cancellation of its ambitious multiplayer spin-off set in The Last of Us universe. The decision, while disappointing for the audiences looking forward to the standalone title, is a positive sign for the developer's single-player endeavors, specifically, The Last of Us Part 3.
Naughty Dog's cancellation of the multiplayer project, initially envisioned as an expansion to The Last of Us Part 2 and later planned as a separate release, was announced in a blog post. The studio cited the need to focus its resources on its strength, single-player games, rather than committing to a live-service model requiring years of continuous support. It's a decision that aligns with Naughty Dog's heritage of creating immersive single-player experiences, as seen in, of course, The Last of Us, and Uncharted, among others.
The now-canceled multiplayer mode, which the studio referred to us The Last of Us Online, had generated considerable excitement among fans. The silver lining is that this frees up resources for larger projects. When you consider the critical and commercial success of The Last of Us Part 2, a sequel appears to be a logical next step for the studio. Factions, the first game's multiplayer component, Factions, was highly praised, and its absence in the sequel had become a point of contention among fans. While the promise of a standalone online title had temporarily addressed this concern, the recent cancellation has left a void that The Last of Us Part 3 could fill.