The co-director of The Last of Us Part 2, who also served as director on Uncharted The Lost Legacy and as a designer on Uncharted 4, says that their favourite Naughty Dog game is “the next one,” as The Last of Us PC continues to receive patches, and the possibility circles of a TLOU Part 3. Though action and survival games have been Naughty Dog’s staples for the last 15 or more years, the studio’s next project may be something else entirely – or, potentially, the previously announced, multiplayer-driven Last of Us game.
Writing on Twitter, The Game Awards, which will host this year’s Summer Games Fest, asks followers “which is your favourite Naughty Dog game of all time?” There are almost a thousand responses, covering the studio’s entire oeuvre, from The Last of Us Part 2 right back to Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot. No-one, however, seems to have any time for the 1985 Apple 2 smash hit Math Jam.
Kurt Margenau, whose work at Naughty Dog includes game design on Uncharted 2, directing Uncharted The Lost Legacy, and co-directing The Last of Us Part 2, also offers their response. Replying to TGA’s “which is your favourite Naughty Dog game?” survey, Margenau simply, teasingly replies “the next one,” adding a little winking emoji.
So, what could it be? Neil Druckmann, co-creator of The Last of Us and co-president of Naughty Dog, says the studio has already decided on its next game, but also suggests that the developer is “moving on” from Uncharted. The Last of Us 3 remains something the developer may work on, though Druckman says this will depend on Naughty Dog being able to find a “compelling story” for the potential third game.
There has also been speculation that ND is working on a new fantasy game, owing to ostensible concept art hidden in The Last of Us Part 1. Exactly which Naughty Dog project Margenau alludes to is unclear, but it would be fantastic to see something brand new from Naughty Dog, unconnected to the world of TLOU. You can see the apparent fantasy game concept art in the image below:
More information on the multiplayer spin-off from The Last of Us is expected to come later in 2023, with Naughty Dog currently releasing a series of The Last of Us PC patches to address various technical and loading issues.
In the meantime, if you’re struggling with the PC version, try the best Last of Us PC settings. You can also get all The Last of Us safe codes, or maybe try some of the other best horror games available now.