For years now, The Last of Us Part 3 has existed mostly as wishful thinking, forum theory fuel, and the kind of rumor fans keep alive because Naughty Dog refuses to say much of anything. But all of this may have changed, or at least nudged forward, thanks to a new post from Neil Druckmann.
The head of Naughty Dog recently shared a post on Instagram that featured early concept art for what eventually became The Last of Us. These sketches were dated back to 2003, a full decade before the release of the original game.
Why this simple post has gamers hyped
What has fans reading into the social media post is not just the artwork, but Druckmann’s caption. The line that caught everyone’s attention reads, “Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead.”
That “few stops that remain” phrasing is doing a lot of work here. Fans believe that it is a possible nod to The Last of Us Part 3, especially since the series has already had two mainline games and multiple other projects tied to it.
It’s still not official
To be clear, this is not an official announcement, just a fan interpretation. The wording is vague and could just as easily refer to the third season of the popular ongoing TV show. But there’s a kind of silver lining here. Druckmann is reportedly not expected to be as involved with the next TV season as he has been before. So there’s a chance that the post here may actually be referring to the third game.
Are fans reaching here?
Naughty Dog has stayed tight-lipped about a direct sequel, even while the studio is known to be working on multiple projects. That is what makes even a cryptic tease like this enough to get fans talking again. With the last game in the franchise nearly six years ago.
So no, The Last of Part 3 has not been confirmed. But for once, the dream does not feel entirely made up.