Naughty Dog has “moved on” from Uncharted

Naughty Dog’s co-president Neil Druckmann has said that the studio is "done" with Uncharted and could possibly do the same with The Last of Us (TLOU).

The details:

• Druckmann recently spoke with Buzzfeed to promote the newly released TLOU TV adaptation. When asked about the franchise's future, Druckmann said that if Naughty Dog could come up with a "compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love" like the first and second games, it would "tell that story”.
• Naughty Dog's parent company, Sony, supports and funds its projects. Some fans have suggested that because of the franchise's massive success, Sony has put pressure on the studio to produce sequels, which Druckmann confirmed is not the case. He cited the Uncharted franchise as an example of a studio "giving up" a critically acclaimed franchise after completing the story, despite the fact that Uncharted 4 was "insanely successful," stating that they were able to "put our final brushstroke on that story and say that we're done." He then stated that TLOU is "up to us whether we want to continue it or not”.
• Despite the remark, Druckmann confirmed in April 2021 that an outline for a third part had been written but was not yet in production. It's very likely that we'll see a TLOU Part 3 in the future, as there are various ways for the story to continue.

How has the TV series been received?

• The TLOU TV series, which premiered on January 15, has been an instant hit, receiving universal acclaim from both critics and the general public. The show follows the events of the first game, and many have praised its cinematography and cast members' performances.
• During the Buzzfeed interview, Druckmann confirmed that, in response to the success of the first episode, discussions about a second season have already begun. "We have had conversations about where we would go if we got renewed. Nothing has been officially announced yet. The response so far has been incredible—reviews, fans, coming off the first episode—so we just pray that people will keep watching, we'll keep having this response, and there'll be more stories to tell.” Druckmann said.

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