Last Updated on Oct 14, 2025 @ 12:03:50 PM.
The Last of Us Part 3 is quickly becoming the next GTA 6, in that it’s the next big game we seemingly know is coming, but Naughty Dog won’t confirm it, no matter how desperately we want them to. GTA 6 comes out later this year, and many assumed we were close to The Last of Us Part 3, as well, but with Naughty Dog showing off a surprise announcement at The Game Awards in its new IP Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, we couldn’t be further from that, it seems.
We Have a Long Wait for The Last of Us Part 3
Naughty Dog has cemented its position as one of PlayStation’s top studios with its recent exclusive releases in the Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises, and on first look, it looks likely that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will continue that trend. However, it could be said this may be a huge hit to the likelihood of us not only seeing The Last of Us Part 3 any time soon, but for it to still be relevant and with fans that’ll care about the narrative ending of the trilogy by the time it arrives.
Details on The Last of Us Part 3 are pretty sparse on the ground, but we do know some obvious facts that’ll point to it being difficult for Naughty Dog to bring both this and the resource-heavy Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at the same time. Firstly, with the new IP being a single-player AAA narrative, the same as the third and probably last installment of Ellie’s story, the teams needed to bring both worlds to life to the level Naughty Dog expects of itself would be huge, and the staff numbers aren’t there right now.
Add to that the comments of franchise creator Neil Druckmann in February 2024, in the Grounded II documentary, when discussing the third The Last of Us, where he said the following:
“I don’t have a story, but I do have that concept that, to me, is as exciting as 1, as exciting as 2, is its own thing and yet has this through line for all three. So it does feel like there’s probably one more chapter to this story.”
This simultaneously confirms he’s both thinking about the entry but not actively developing it. Of course, this could be a red herring, but with his attention being split between Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us, there are only so many hours in the day.
Patience is Wearing Thin
If not for Druckmann’s clear intent to explore other worlds of his creation, we’d probably have more concrete details on how far along in development The Last of Us Part 3 actually is, and even with the work done on the now-canceled The Last of Us online game being potentially used for the third game, it’s still likely a few years away.
The general consensus is one of interest and waiting to see where the story goes (and potentially ends) with The Last of Us Part 3, and the not knowing is doing a great deal of heavy lifting in keeping the interest alive for fans of the games and TV shows alive with the third game, but some are losing patience all the same:
Some are focusing heavily on the choice to go with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet over it as well:
Others have decided to hope for something that’d never happen, both thematically, narratively, and realistically. This isn’t Dallas:
For now, we’ll have to wait for more information on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, including a release date, before we can even hope to see more information on The Last of Us Part 3 if it ever happens, but in the meantime, we’ll wait semi-patiently.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out how Bloodborne 2’s less likely now we have Days Gone Remastered, or if sci-fi horror is your thing, don’t ignore Directive 8020.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
