Fans were optimistic that there would be an end to Ellie’s story after The Last of Us Part II, and even game director Neil Druckmann said that he thought there was room for a third game.
This year, Druckmann made headlines suggesting that fans shouldn’t bet on Part III happening. While some think he was trying to be coy, Druckmann does clarify what he said on the possibility of a third game.
Many Stars Have to Align
In a recent interview with E-Talk at the Last of Us Season 2 premiere (via @DomTheBombYT), Druckmann explains:
“I guess I’ll say, every game I make, every project I work on, I treat it like it will be my last. So I just pour everything into it. I leave nothing on the table. We did the first Last of Us game, that’s how I treated it. I wasn’t sure I could ever get to make a sequel so it had to have a definitive ending, likewise when I worked on Uncharted 4, same thing; when I worked on Last of Us 2—I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do this again,’ and it had a definitive ending. That is the ending we’re working towards.”
Druckmann goes on to say that his current focus is the next season of the series and his new game Intergalactic; and it will have to be a while before he even starts thinking of The Last of Us Part III. Druckmann continues:
“For there to be another one, another thing, another project, so many stars have to align—I can’t guarantee it. So right now my focus is on this season. Hopefully if HBO renews us, next season; and I’m working on a new game called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.”
Games vs Series
While it could be a while before The Last of Us Part III happens, the HBO show is said to be expecting a four-season run. If that’s the case, the story of The Last of Us Part II wraps up with Season 3, and Season 4 could focus on whatever Druckmann had planned for Part III, story-wise.
Though a lot of fans are worried that the series would start telling stories without the source material—like what happened with Game of Thrones— it is worth noting that Druckmann is also closely working with the show, so anything that happens, he’ll be closely involved.
With Intergalactic rumored to be coming out in 2027, fans may have to wait as late as 2030 to get the third Last of Us game. With that in mind, maybe Ellie and Abby’s story should be concluded in the TV show.
While Part II did leave things at a low for Ellie, her arc as someone immune to the cordyceps virus hasn't been fully addressed. If a third game should happen, it's possible that it could finally tackle Ellie having to choose her own life or the future of humanity; maybe fans can see the story end with the cure for the apocalypse after all.
For now, Druckmann’s closest project release is The Last of Us Season 2, which comes to Max on April 13.