Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann may have just teased more things to come for the last of us

Neil Druckmann, creative director and visionary behind The last of ushas given a hint that the series may not be quite finished yet. The last of us franchise hasn't seen a new game released since the 2020s The Last of Us Part 2, which was remade for the PlayStation 5 in 2024.

Despite only releasing two games in the series, Naughty Dog's The last of us franchise has served as one of the game's most influential properties since it first appeared on the scene. The game's bleak, character-driven story and storytelling techniques have had a major influence on the medium, with a multitude The last of us-inspired games that have been released since the original game launched in 2013. Most recently, the games have been adapted into a television show by HBO, with Neil Druckmann co-creating and writing the show. Druckmann even directed a selection of episodes before ending his work on the TV series to focus on gaming projects.

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“I Leave Nothing on The Line” The Last of Us Showrunner on Keeping the HBO Series Going After the Games End

Neil Druckmann addressed whether The Last of Us TV show would continue beyond the game.

The Last of Us Creative Director teases more to come from the franchise

Neil Druckmann has offered The last of us here's a little hint that there may be more content to come from the beloved series. The co-creator of the franchise took to his Instagram page to post the very first pair of sketches from the game's conceptual phase, showcasing his initial design ideas for the couple Joel and Ellie. During the post, Druckmann said he was “grateful for every part” of the franchise's journey, “especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead.” This very last part of Druckmann's caption has caused a stir among fans of The last of us, teased that there may be more to come for the series beyond the conclusion of The last of us part 2.

Druckmann's vague caption has inspired a variety of interpretations among fans of the franchise, with some dampening expectations that the creative director may have simply teased the upcoming third season of The Last of Us' The HBO series. Others have speculated that the statement may hint at the development of The Last of Us Part 3, a hypothetical third installment in the critically acclaimed game series. Despite The last of us part 2 wraps up much of the story established in Part 1, the second game in the franchise leaves room for more potential entries due to its introduction of various new characters, along with its open-ended finale.

With Neil Druckmann stepping away from HBO's The last of us series to concentrate on his work at Naughty Dog, it would make sense for the revered video game development studio to start looking ahead to the future of its flagship franchise. The man who helped bring the beloved world off The last of us to life is now solely focused on the world of video games again, and that could open the window for more games in the franchise's universe. Despite this hope, it should be noted that Naughty Dog is currently hard at work on its next title, Cowboy Bebop-inspired Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which serves as the studio's first original IP since then The last of us made its debut on the PlayStation 3. Druckmann's focus may be solely on bringing this new title to fruition, and his social media tease may well allude to the conclusion of the HBO show.

Druckmann has given vague hints about the future of The last of us in previous interviews, with some of his comments seeming to dampen hopes of a potential third game. In March 2025, Druckmann commented The last of us part 3 rumors, acknowledging the possibility that the conclusion of the HBO series may well mark the end of the franchise without explicitly confirming that this is the case. No guarantees, fans The last of us will have to draw their own conclusions about what stories remain to be told in this post-apocalyptic world.