Jason Schreier recently said that making games is starting to take so long that any big-budget project starting production today will likely be made with the PlayStation 6 in mind.
Of course that's just his opinion, but it makes a lot of sense. It would also explain why we've only just begun hearing more about The Last of Us Part 3.
The Last of Us Part 3:
- Is in production
- Will release on PS5 with PS6 in mind
- Described as in progress
- 2026 release is plausible
- Budget depends on success of show(According to The Leak) pic.twitter.com/yHWZPZNjOK
— DomTheBomb (@DomTheBombYT) February 6, 2023
Naughty Dog is currently working on a multiplayer spin-off to The Last of Us that will be officially revealed this year. While all eyes are on the live-action adaptation of The Last of Us Part 1, which comes to the PC in late March, rumors suggest that The Last of Us Part 3 is next on the docket.
According to DomTheBomb, The Last of Us Part 3 is "in progress" at Naughty Dog and the info comes from the source that claims that a PS5 slim is coming this year.
Given the timeline Sony gave earlier for the PlayStation 6, Naughty Dog will have at least three more years to prepare The Last of Us Part 3 for the launch of the PS6. Of course, as is practically tradition at the first-party Sony studio at this point, it could release The Last of Us Part 3 near the tail end of the PS5's life cycle just to remaster it for the PS6.
Curiously enough, The Last of Us Part II hasn't been remastered (or, is it remade?) for the PS5 yet despite being one of the most GOTY'd video games of all time.
Ultimately, all signs point to Naughty Dog at least giving a mainline The Last of Us series at least one more go. HBO's live-action adaptation is careening towards becoming an all-time great, if it already isn't. The show's second season will adapt The Last of Us Part II, and it might tell the story across multiple seasons. This gives Naughty Dog more than enough time to come up with an equally compelling third outing to give the show something to adapt for what we're presuming will also be its final season.
Speaking of Naughty Dog, the studio has reportedly already given the keys to the Uncharted franchise to a different video game developer. We're curious to see what the award-winning studio will be up to next now that it's moving on from its two most iconic franchises.
