Careful not to confirm The Last of Us Part III, Druckmann admits “there’s more story to tell”

The rumor mill surrounding The Last of Us has been in overdrive for the past several months as the press machine builds up hype for the upcoming HBO adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Everyone wants to know what changes the live-action series would make to the characters and setting, and more importantly, will Naughty Dog try to capitalize on the exposure of the highly anticipated show by making the next game in The Last of Us franchise?

According to Naughty Dog co-President Neil Druckmann, the answer is a resounding “maybe.” While he recently took to Twitter to remind people not to believe every leak they read on the internet, Druckmann also didn’t rule out the possibility of more The Last of Us games. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he stated that there is “more story to tell” within The Last of Us world.

On the surface, this seems to be an admission that there are plans for The Last of Us Part III, which has been rumored since 2021 when Druckmann said that there was an outline for a story to follow up Part II. And making a sequel to a highly successful game in a growing media franchise seems like a no-brainer, so why wouldn’t this be true?

Before fans get their hopes up, it is important to remember the context of this quote, which comes as part of the press tour for a highly anticipated The Last of Us (TV series). Druckmann’s job, in this case, is to provide hype, and dropping a quote like this is a great way to do so. It neither confirms nor denies the existence of a sequel to The Last of Us Part II but lets fans’ imaginations run wild.

While the fact that Druckmann is still open to exploring the world of The Last of Us in video game format is exciting, all of these rumors and quotes should be taken with a pinch of salt. This statement could just be Druckmann gauging interest in The Last of Us Part III before pitching it to the rest of the creative team at Naughty Dog, or it could just be an offhand comment made to a reporter as part of a longer interview. Until an official announcement is made, fans should manage their expectations.