Following months of quiet, Naughty Dog has verified that the franchise is far from finished, with two new titles currently in development. Because both projects remain in their infancy, the developer has not yet revealed their titles or launch windows. The news arrived during The Last of Us Day, an event featuring a charity stream, giveaways, and the release of franchise-themed welcome hub backgrounds and avatars for the PS5.
As the celebration concluded, studio head Neil Druckmann stated, “We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages – so we can’t say much about them at this point. I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II.” He added, “The world of The Last of Us means a great deal to us, and we wouldn’t return to it unless we had something meaningful to say. We believe these stories are worth telling.”
Alongside the franchise news, the studio shared a release timeframe for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Initially previewed in 2024 without subsequent updates for two years, the game is now scheduled to debut in 2027. It centers on Jordan Mun, a bounty hunter marooned on a perilous planet, though a precise release date remains unannounced.
Addressing the upcoming full showcase of the title, the studio head remarked, “The team is heads down on what is shaping up to be Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game yet. There’s an electricity around the studio right now as all the pieces come together, and we’re stoked to finally unveil Intergalactic in all its glory.” He continued, “So we want to set expectations: we’re going to be quiet for the rest of this year. In 2027, that changes. We’ll fully reveal Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and give you a proper look at Jordan’s wild sci-fi adventure.”
Naughty Dog currently has multiple major projects underway across various phases of production. While Intergalactic stands as the developer’s next major release, the pair of new franchise entries are positioned further into the future.
Naughty Dog is Building its Next Big Run
While the upcoming games will broaden the universe, Naughty Dog refrained from labeling either of them as Part III. Furthermore, the studio made no mention of whether established characters like Ellie or Abby will appear in these forthcoming entries.
Keeping particulars under wraps also affords Naughty Dog the opportunity to determine the franchise’s future trajectory without establishing premature expectations surrounding a definitive plot. For the present, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet serves as the studio’s primary upcoming launch, with the two new franchise additions pointing toward what lies ahead.
