The Last of Us' creator is teasing a new Naughty Dog game

While Naughty Dog works on a multiplayer game set in The Last of Us universe, there's a marked absence of anything new from the studio. One might think that the momentum from the critically acclaimed HBO series would naturally lead to The Last of Us Part 3. But when Druckmann was queried specifically about a third game, he said, "It's up to [Naughty Dog] whether we want to continue it or not," making it clear that Sony isn't holding their feet to the fire for another sequel.

There's a particular wrench in the gears when it comes to the future of The Last of Us multiplayer game. Following an internal assessment by Destiny creators Bungie that was reportedly quite critical, the development team was allegedly downsized to a skeleton crew. Interestingly, Druckmann didn't seem to be referring to this multiplayer spin-off in his latest interviews. His comments imply that the next big project, whatever it may be, is neither this nor the rumored Part 3 of The Last of Us.

Considering Druckmann's statements, the chances of Naughty Dog focusing on a different series, like Uncharted, look relatively slim. A new Uncharted game is possibly in development, but it's not likely to be at Naughty Dog unless the studio has considerably expanded its workforce. That being said, Druckmann's influence could extend into an advisory or creative consultant role, even if it's not a Naughty Dog project.

But let's not discard the idea that the studio might be brewing something entirely original. Druckmann once indicated that the choice for their next game was between a sequel and a new IP. In light of this, could the mystery project be an entirely new intellectual property?

Given the studio's reputation for genre-defining narratives and deep emotional engagement, a fresh storyline with a new world to explore could be an exciting prospect. The relatively long gaps between the studio's major releases also lend credibility to this theory; after all, creating a compelling new universe takes time.

So, what's Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog's big secret? Perhaps the true answer is that they are as malleable as the narratives they create, capable of unexpected twists and paradigm shifts.

Ultimately, all one can confidently say is we'll all be watching Naughty Dog's next move, ready to dissect every trailer, every tweet, and every cryptic statement, looking for clues to the puzzle that Neil Druckmann and Co. are so expertly assembling.