Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog "will not be 'The Last of Us' studio forever" as work on "multiple single-player projects" continues after a multiplayer project was canned

gamesradar.com:

Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann has revealed the developer has "multiple single-player projects" in the works and won't remain 'The Last of Us studio' forever.

In a new interview with the LA Times, the Naughty Dog president touches on the future of the studio. "I promise you, we will not be 'The Last of Us' studio forever," Druckmann says, which is a slightly odd statement, considering there have been two Last of Us titles and five Uncharted games from Naughty Dog over the years. Then again, the former series has been far more prominent than the latter over the last decade or so.

Additionally, the LA Times reported that "numerous" games are in the works right now at Naughty Dog, including "multiple single-player projects." Naughty Dog recently announced that it had canceled the in-development Last of Us multiplayer spin-off, a successor to the beloved Factions online mode from the original game, and Destiny developer reportedly "raised questions" about the long-term fun of the project.

Late last year in 2023, Naughty Dog announced it had multiple single-player games in the works. This was actually alongside the announcement of the multiplayer cancelation, which was probably an attempt to reassure Naughty Dog fans about the studio's future.

This new information from Druckmann will probably have The Last of Us fans feeling a little divided. Druckmann has teased information about a third game in the series numerous times over the last few years, including revealing that The Last of Us 3's potential plot had been outlined, so although one of the new single-player projects could be The Last of Us 3, there's also clearly a desire from Druckmann to move away from the series eventually.

Naughty Dog was a no-show at the recent PlayStation State of Play for May 2024 last week, indicating that whatever projects the developer does have in the works, they could well be a good few years away from launching.

Take a look at our upcoming PS5 games guide for an overview of all the