Naughty Dogis one of the most critically-acclaimed studios PlayStation has, creating many of its most well-renowned games. There has been much speculation about what the studio’s next game is, andNaughty Dog’s Co-President, Neil Druckmann, has dropped another reference to it.
For over 20 years, Naughty Dog has been developing hits for PlayStation, going back toCrash Bandicooton the PS1. TheJakseries in the early 2000s developed the studio into one with a stronger narrative purpose, which would fully come to fruition with theUnchartedand laterThe Last of Us. In 2020, Naughty Dog releasedThe Last of Us: Part 2, arguably its most ambitious game to date, going on to win several Game of the Year awards, and challenging just how far video game narratives can go. Now, it is known that Naughty Dog is definitely working on a new project, it beingFactionsmultiplayer forThe Last of Us: Part 2, but rumors suggest there may be more than just one game currently in development.
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Neil Druckmann has updated his Twitter bio with a tease of a future unspecified Naughty Dog game, sparking debate over the game. His bio references his current role at Naughty Dog, as well as his various project roles, includingThe Last of Us,The Last of Us: Part 2, andUncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The phrase of concern here comes at the very, Druckmann writing, “and THAT future game!” emphasizing and acknowledging rumors of Naughty Dog’s various developments.Druckmann recently finished work onThe Last of Us' HBO series, which is currently still in production.
This is not the first timeDruckmann has teased about a future Naughty Dog project, potentially referring toThe Last of Us: Part 2’sFactionsin a tweet last year. AsThe Last of Us Day 2020came to a close, Druckmann thanked the fans for another celebration, but before signing off, wrote, “Oh… and about that other thing… be patient. It’ll be worth it.” However, with current knowledge of theThe Last of UsHBO series, the supposedThe Last of Usremake for modern consoles, as well as the rumored new IP,Stray’s Cross, there’s no telling if the project he was referring to last year is the one his new bio is hinting at.
It is a bizarre situation for Naughty Dog with so many rumored releases, but none of which actually being outright confirmed or debunked. There are even smoke and mirrors withThe Last of Us: Part 2’s multiplayer, as the project was confirmed without any actual name or release window, just the written confirmation of its development. That said, Druckmann’s tease here is harmless enough, though it may be in reference to an unannounced game as his multiplayer credits are not as strong as his narrative-focused ones. At least theUncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collectionwill be a good source of PS5 development training for whateverNaughty Dog’s next game is.
MORE:The Wait For The Last of Us 2 Multiplayer Could Be A Lot Longer
