The Last of Us franchise may very well introduce another entry, according to its creator, Niel Druckmann. The Naughty Dog President has confirmed that more The Last of Us stories could on the way by eluding ut "one more chapter." In a sequel to the "Grounded" documentary about the making of The Last of Us Part II, Druckmann shared that he has a concept planned for a sequel to The Last of Us Part II, and believes there could be another game in the future.
In the documentary, Druckmann explained that another entry in the TLOU series might not be the next project; however, he feels they could offer "one more chapter."
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The Last of Us Part II Documentary Called Grounded II Confirms a Third Part for the Story
In the documentary, Niel stated that he has yet to plan a story about part III, but he does have a concept for another title. The game will be its "own thing" but will offer a through-line for all three games in the franchise. Despite all the statements from the creator, fans will likely wait for a long time before Naughty Dog confirms anything regarding a third game. The production for The Last of Us Part II was around $220 million, a large sum for a video game.
Considering the amount, it will take a lot of effort and time for the developers to make another title in the franchise. In the documentary, Nei stated:
"I don't have a story, but I do have a concept, as exciting as 1, as exciting as 2, it's its own thing but acts like a through-line for all three. It does feel like there's one more chapter to this story".
This statement had the fans excited over the future of the franchise as it has been a beloved one since the first game. With Part II, The Last of Us brought many new characters alongside more dimensions for the existing characters. For a third game, the developers can opt for another route, showcasing the story from a different perspective. Another chapter in the franchise has a lot of potential to try out new concepts in the game.
Druckmann also hinted at a spinoff about Tommy in the future. Joel's brother was a supporting character in the series for both games and was also liked by the fans. According to Neil, a story for a spinoff title was already written but was shelved so Naughty Dog could focus on their other projects. The spin-off title Druckmann eluded to was a single-player experience with Tommy as the protagonist. While that didn't pan out, the director believes the franchise isn't done telling new stories.