Naughty Dog Confirms 2 New The Last of Us Projects and Full Intergalactic Reveal for 2027

Naughty Dog has finally given fans a clearer picture of what comes next for 2 of its biggest properties, confirming that 2 new projects set within The Last of Us universe are in very early development while Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is scheduled to receive its full reveal in 2027. The update came directly from Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann as part of the studio’s closing message for The Last of Us Day. While the announcement stops short of confirming The Last of Us Part III, it establishes that Naughty Dog is actively developing new stories that will expand the franchise beyond the events of The Last of Us Part I and Part II.

"We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages, so we can’t say much about them at this point. I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part I and Part II."
— Quote by: Neil Druckmann.

That wording is important. Naughty Dog has confirmed 2 projects connected to The Last of Us, but it has not identified either one as The Last of Us Part III. Their format is also unknown, leaving open whether these are full games, smaller releases, or different types of projects within the franchise. Druckmann only confirmed that both will add to the established canon and that development remains at a very early stage.

The announcement follows years of uncertainty surrounding the future of the franchise. Naughty Dog cancelled The Last of Us Online in 2023 after concluding that maintaining the project would require transforming the studio into one primarily focused on live service development. Since then, the company has returned its attention to single player experiences while The Last of Us has continued expanding through HBO and remastered releases.

The studio is now simultaneously preparing its next major original IP. Druckmann confirmed that Naughty Dog will remain quiet about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet throughout the remainder of 2026, but that silence will end in 2027 when the studio plans to fully reveal the game and provide a substantially deeper look at Jordan A. Mun’s science fiction adventure.

"The team is heads down on what is shaping up to be Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game yet."
— Quote by: Neil Druckmann.

Naughty Dog says the project needs additional development time before it is ready to be shown again. The studio has therefore set clear expectations that there will be no major Intergalactic presentation during the remainder of 2026, rather than leaving players waiting for a surprise appearance at another PlayStation showcase or The Game Awards.

"In 2027, that changes. We’ll fully reveal Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and give you a proper look at Jordan’s wild sci-fi adventure."
— Quote by: Neil Druckmann.

The confirmation provides additional context to the production milestone after Naughty Dog completed the ambitious cinematic shoot for Intergalactic. Finishing cinematic performance capture did not mean development was approaching completion, and Druckmann’s latest statement reinforces that substantial production work remains before Naughty Dog is prepared to show the game properly.

Intergalactic was originally revealed at The Game Awards in December 2024 and has been in development since 2020. The game follows bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun, portrayed by Tati Gabrielle, after she becomes stranded on Sempiria, an isolated planet that has been cut off from communication with the outside universe for hundreds of years. Previous travelers attempting to uncover its secrets disappeared, leaving Jordan trying to become the first person in more than 600 years to escape the planet.

Naughty Dog has described Intergalactic as an ambitious evolution of the gameplay philosophy established through Uncharted and The Last of Us, with Druckmann previously indicating that the studio wants to deliver its deepest gameplay systems to date. However, very little actual gameplay has been publicly demonstrated since the original announcement, making the promised 2027 presentation the first opportunity for players to properly evaluate how those ambitions translate into combat, exploration and world design.

The latest statement notably confirms a reveal window rather than a release window. Naughty Dog has not announced that Intergalactic will launch in 2027, and the studio’s wording should not be interpreted as confirmation of a 2027 release. The only official commitment at this stage is that a more complete presentation of the game is coming next year.

This update gives Naughty Dog a considerably clearer roadmap than it has presented publicly in recent years. Intergalactic remains the studio’s immediate major production, while The Last of Us is quietly moving forward through 2 separate projects that are still too early for a formal reveal.

The most interesting detail is that Naughty Dog deliberately described them as projects that will expand the canon rather than immediately announcing The Last of Us Part III. That leaves considerable room for the studio to explore characters, locations and periods outside the stories already covered by the 2 main games without committing every new project to being a numbered sequel.

Intergalactic is much easier to position. Its cinematic production has reached an important milestone, Naughty Dog is openly describing it as its most ambitious game yet, and a full reveal is now officially scheduled for 2027. What remains unknown is when players will actually get their hands on it.

What would you rather see from Naughty Dog’s 2 new The Last of Us projects, a direct Part III continuation or completely new stories set elsewhere in the same world?