The Last of Us is a nearly decade-old franchise that began in 2013 and presently enjoys the spotlight thanks to a critically acclaimed live-action adaptation produced by HBO. A sequel arrived in 2020 and a standalone multiplayer game is in development, but despite the near-guaranteed success of another follow-up, developer Naughty Dog may decide to pursue new endeavors and IP.

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According to Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann, Sony is placing no pressure on the studio to continue the story of Ellie and Abby, the protagonist and antagonist of The Last of Us Part 2 respectively. Although Part 2’s narrative of vengeance came to a conclusion hotly contested among fans, there are plenty of avenues that could inspire a third game or even spinoffs. However, Naughty Dog will allegedly only make The Last of Us Part 3 if a compelling story can be crafted, and the studio is dedicated to its creation. Given the intense backlash elements of the sequel received, it would not be a surprise if some developers wished to distance themselves from the franchise.

Druckmann has previously stated that a synopsis for a third title in the series has been written, but it apparently did not translate into development. Naughty Dog is currently hard at work on its first standalone multiplayer title, inspired by the Factions mode that was a part of the original Last of Us game. Fans were disappointed to see that the online mode did not make a return alongside the recent remake, fueling controversy regarding its $70 price point which many felt was unjustified.

Although Naughty Dog may soon be done with The Last of Us, the same cannot be said for the fans. HBO’s TV premiere boasted a record-breaking 4.7 million viewers, which jumped 22% for the second episode - the largest second-week audience growth in the network’s history. The universal praise has successfully translated into video game purchases too, as The Last of Us Part 1 saw a 238% increase for boxed copies in the United Kingdom.

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Source: Buzzfeed (via VGC)