Yet another rumour that The Last of Us Part 3 is in the works has surfaced, but Naughty Dog remains tight-lipped on whether we'll see another entry in its groundbreaking post-apocalyptic series.
The latest rumour, shared on Twitter by DomTheBomb, comes courtesy of The Leak (opens in new tab). According to the site, an anonymous source at Sony claims that The Last of Us Part 3 is currently "in progress" at Naughty Dog. Interestingly, the game is reported to be in development for PS5 with "PlayStation 6 in mind." This information comes from the same source that claims a PS5 Slim is on the way later this year.
The Last of Us Part 3:- Is in production - Will release on PS5 with PS6 in mind- Described as in progress- 2026 release is plausible- Budget depends on success of show(According to The Leak) pic.twitter.com/yHWZPZNjOKFebruary 6, 2023
It may seem rather early to be considering the PS6, especially since, thanks to a worldwide shortage, many players have only just got their hands on Sony's current-gen console. But considering Naughty Dog worked on the series' previous entries for between 4 and 6 years, and development cycles are only getting longer, it's highly plausible that it could launch near the end of the PS5's lifecycle, with an upgraded version arriving early in the lifecycle of the PS6 to show off the added capabilities of Sony's shiny new hardware.
Given how popular and successful the games and the new HBO The Last of Us TV show have been, we'd be amazed if Naughty Dog doesn't end up making a third game. That being said, as with any rumour, it's worth taking this with a grain of salt until we get official confirmation from Naughty Dog.
Rumours that The Last of Us Part 3 is "in production" also surfaced back in December, and earlier this year, director Neil Druckmann teased the possibility of a follow-up, saying, "I think there's more story to tell."
Check out all the best titles making their way to Sony's latest console this year with our guide to upcoming PS5 games.