Naughty Dog confirmed multiple new projects are in early development during The Last of Us Day 2026, with studio head Neil Druckmann revealing that the upcoming titles will expand the franchise canon beyond the events of the first two games.
The announcement arrived at the conclusion of Naughty Dog’s annual community event similar to BioWare’s N7 Day, offering a rare glimpse into the studio’s internal roadmap. Studio head Neil Druckmann shared the update on September 28, marking the first time in several years that the developer has openly acknowledged running multiple major projects concurrently.
Expanding Beyond Ellie and Abby
While details remain sparse, the studio confirmed that two new projects are underway within the franchise’s wider universe. Rather than continuing the immediate arcs of familiar characters, these stories are explicitly built to expand the canon beyond Part I and Part II.
That careful framing leaves room for entirely new casts, distinct chronological eras, or geographical regions far removed from the core narrative established in the first two installments. Notably, the update avoids confirming a numbered sequel like The Last of Us Part III, focusing instead on broader storytelling within the established world.
Neil Druckmann said, Mums ir vairāki ļoti aizraujoši jauni projekti pašā agrīnā stadijā.
Druckmann noted that discussions about telling further stories in the universe began following the release of the Grounded II documentary. He emphasized that the team believes these stories are worth telling
despite the early stage of development, adding that Neil Druckmann stated, The Last of Us pasaule mums nozīmē ļoti daudz, un mēs tajā neatgrieztos, ja mums nebūtu sakāms kas nozīmīgs.
Balancing Sci-Fi Ambitions with Return Trips
Players hoping to dive into these new adventures immediately will have to wait, with KitGuru noting that it could be quite a while before more information surfaces. Naughty Dog’s primary focus remains firmly fixed on its upcoming science-fiction intellectual property, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
First teased roughly two years ago, the sci-fi project is currently described as the most ambitious game in Naughty Dog’s history. The developer intends to keep communications quiet for the remainder of 2026 while the team stays heads-down on production.
Roadmap Through 2027
The timeline for concrete information on both fronts stretches well into the future. Naughty Dog has scheduled a full reveal for Intergalactic in 2027, meaning updates on the newly confirmed universe expansions will likely remain scarce until that rollout takes place.