A rumor that development was already underway on a third The Last of Us game recently did the rounds, but was quickly debunked by creator Neil Druckmann. However, the Naughty Dog co-president has now offered a slightly more positive update.
According to Druckmann, The Last of Us Part III will happen... as long as they can come up with a story worth telling!
“I know there’s a bunch of people wondering about The Last of Us Part 3 and whether that will be a thing or not,” Druckmann tells Buzzfeed. “All I could say is, at Naughty Dog we’re very, very privileged that our publisher is Sony — which means Sony funds our games, supports us, and we’re owned by Sony."
“They have supported us every step of the way to follow our passions — meaning that just because something is successful, people think there’s all this pressure and we have to make a sequel. That’s not the case."
While it's refreshing to hear that Naughty Dog won't be pressured into making a third game just to capitalize on Part II's success, fans are clamouring for the story to continue.
“Our process is the same thing we did when we did Part 2, which is if we can come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love — just like the first and second game did — then we will tell that story. If we can’t come up with something, we have a very strong ending with Part 2 and that will be the end.”
Part II concluded with Ellie sparing Abby's life and returning home (a couple of fingers short) to find that Dina and baby JJ had left. She picks up her guitar, strums Pearl Jam's "Future Days," and thinks back to the night she decided to forgive Joel and attempt to mend their strained relationship.
It's a powerful, haunting final sequence, and, as Druckmann rightly points out, would serve as a fitting end to the story if a third game never happens - but we really want it to happen!
What do you guys think? Would you be content if we never got a Part III? Drop us a comment down below.