The Last of Us creator casts major doubt on part three: ‘This could be it’

There’s possible bad news for gaymers everywhere currently waiting for an update on Naughty Dog’s third The Last of Us installment: it might not ever happen.

While fans of all things The Last of Us have plenty to be excited about right now – we’re just one month away from the release of the second season of HBO’s TV adaptation – the original game’s co-creator Neil Druckmann has cast a shadow over where the story goes from here.

Speaking to Variety about making the new brand new season with the show’s writer and producer Criag Mazin, Druckmann suggested that plans for the next game, The Last of Us part three, are on hold.

“I was waiting for this question,” Druckmann sighed when probed about the next game instalment.

“I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more of Last of Us. This could be it.”

It’s a crushing development for fans of the post-apocalyptic adventure series who have followed the game’s plot since its original release in June 2013.

Seven years later, fans were treated to the follow-up, The Last of Us: Part II, with both games widely dubbed by players as two of the best video games in recent history.

The game’s success, plus the decision from HBO to adapt the games and reach a whole new audience, left lovers of the action game hopeful that a tertiary game could be on the horizon.

Druckmann’s admission has been met with a mixed response online, with some fans demanding Naughty Dog commit to a part three, and others urging fans to “let it rest” and go out on a high.

For those just coming into the fandom via the HBO show, there is better news however. Mazin confirmed that, as long as HBO greenlight them, there will likely be more seasons of The Last of Us for TV, with the second part of the game stretching out beyond season two.

“It feels like we’ve got one or two more seasons,” Mazin told Variety. He’s previously said that there may need to be a fourth season.

“It’s getting harder to make, because every episode gets big. You don’t want to wait four years for a 17-episode finish, or whatever it is.”

He continued: “I’ve been feeling scared lately about like, ‘Oh, yeah, I have to start thinking about season three…I remember having this feeling when we were finishing season one, where I was like, ‘How the f**k are we going to top this?’ Now, of course, I’m like, ‘How the f**k are we going to top this?’”

The Last of Us season two will premiere on 13 April, and will begin several years on from the finale of season one. As fans of the game will know, season two will introduce a number of pivotal characters, including Abby Anderson, a member of the Fireflies.

Emmy Award nominee Kaitlyn Dever will play the tough role of Abby, while season two will also feature a lesbian love interest for lead character Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

Madame Web star Isabela Merced will play Ellie’s girlfriend Dina in the plot, which Ramsey told PinkNews they “can’t wait” to see play out.

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