Summary
Naughty Dog may already be working onThe Last of Us 3, according to a newly posted job listing. WhileThe Last of Usfans expected that Part 3 would be several years away, this new ad on Naughty Dog’s official website gives hope of a closer release date.
Earlier this year, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann teased thatThe Last of Us 3is a reality, but no official release window has been announced as yet. It has been four years sinceThe Last of Us Part 2’s fairly vague ending had players intrigued to know what happens next in Ellie’s story. Though Naughty Dog is busy with HBO’sThe Last of UsSeason 2 premiering in 2025, it appears that the studio plans on delivering a third entry of the game’s series sooner rather than later, according to a new job listing on its website.
Naughty Dog has posted an ad for a Senior Gameplay Animator. Per the job description, the studio is looking for a candidate with a “strong understanding of creature animation and mechanics.” The prospective employee will be in charge of crafting highly realistic gameplay animations “for a broad range of creatures of varied types.” The repeated use of the word “creatures” instead of animals strongly hints atthe Infected fromThe Last of Us, who have historically never been called zombies by developers either. This job opportunity could be interpreted as a progression in the development ofThe Last of Us 3.
Naughty Dog Job Listing Hints at The Last of Us 3
If true,The Last of Us Part 3could arrive sooner than what players had anticipated.The Last of Usfans were previously discouraged by thecancelation ofThe Last of Us Online, a highly-anticipated multiplayer spin-off that had been in the works for years. This decision worried players about the future ofThe Last of Us 3, but Neil Druckmann has revealed that the general concept of the sequel is ready, and this new job listing appears to confirm the game’s development.
On the other hand, rumor has it thatNaughty Dog is working on a new IPthat might be a first-person game, so there is a possibility that the job listing may be addressing this title instead. However, even if Naughty Dog has its hands full with a new project, it is unlikely that the studio would give up onThe Last of Us 3. The series is one of the studio’s most loved franchises, and Naughty Dog has proven capable of releasing AAA games one after the other, withUnchartedlaunching four mainline titles within nine years, so the next chapter ofThe Last of Usis almost certainly on the horizon.
The Last of Us Part 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Play the winner of over 300 Game of the Year awards, remastered for the PlayStation®5 console. Relive or play for the first time Ellie and Abby’s story, now with graphical enhancements, new gameplay modes like the roguelike survival experience No Return, full DualSense® wireless controller integration, and more. Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closur
