After the cancelation ofThe Last of Us' live-service multiplayer spinoff last December, Naughty Dog posted an update on its official site vaguely explaining the reason for the cancelation. Right at the end of this blog post, Naughty Dog confirmed that it has “more than one ambitious,brand new single player game” in development, but there’s been no official confirmation of what those projects are.
It’s been heavily rumored that one of these in-development projects is a brand new, possibly Sci-Fi-themed IP from Naughty Dog, but the other project(s) are complete mysteries. That being said, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Naughty Dog returns to its wildly successfulLast of Usfranchise, especially if the HBO live-action adaptation continues being such a major success. But if Naughty Dog has learned anything from past events, it might be a while before fans get to see a potentialLast of Us Part 3, even if it is in development already.
The Last of Us Part 3 Might Want to Keep Its Cards Close to Its Chest
The Last of Us Part 2 Suffered Some Extreme Pre-Release Leaks
Possibly one of the most leaked video games of all time,The Last of Us Part 2had multiple major data breaches before the game eventually launched in June 2020. By far the biggest leak, potentially in the entire history of gaming, came in April 2020. After a leaker managed to get their hands on about an hour ofThe Last of Us Part 2gameplayand cutscene footage, it was posted online for the world to see. This leak contained now-infamous plot details about the game, confirming that Joel would die at the hands of Abby during the game’s first act, that Dina was pregnant, and that Jesse would eventually die as well.
These leaks were practically unavoidable at the time, with them dominating headlines and social media discourse in the months leading up toThe Last of Us Part 2’s release. There’s no doubt that these leaks drastically affectedThe Last of Us Part 2’s initial reception, with many taking the leaks at face value, deciding at that moment they didn’t like the direction Naughty Dog was taking the series, and forming a lasting opinion about the game’s story months before they got their hands on its finished form. And once these opinions were formed, they weren’t so easily changed.
Unfortunately, these extensive leaks have become entwined withThe Last of Us Part 2’s legacy. Four years later, these leaks are still a common part of any conversation surroundingThe Last of Us Part 2, and the emotional distress they caused Naughty Dog employees won’t be forgotten so easily either.
The Last of Us Part 3 Should Remain in Stealth
IfThe Last of Us Part 3does enter development at some point soon, then it’s probably a good idea for Sony to allow Naughty Dog to work on the game in secret, and only reveal the sequel when it’s practically ready to ship. There are two clear upsides to this approach. Firstly, keepingThe Last of Us Part 3’s developmenta total secret would put less pressure on Naughty Dog to deliver the game by a specific date, and would cause less disappointment if the game needed to be delayed, which is another issue that plaguedThe Last of Us Part 2.
Secondly, keepingThe Last of Us Part 3a secret until its release would drastically lower the risk of another full-blown plot leak, or at least cast enough doubt that fans could more easily disregard it. While most games need a lengthy marketing campaign before release,The Last of Us Part 3would likely be able to make just as big of an impact if it appeared suddenly out of the blue.
The Last Of Us Part II Remastered
WHERE TO PLAY
EXPERIENCE ELLIE AND ABBY’S EMOTIONAL JOURNEYS, REMASTERED FOR PS5 Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure.
