Neil Druckmann isn't confident about planning The Last of Us sequels

Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, the creative force behind The Last of Us, recently dropped some wisdom about his development philosophy, and it's as refreshingly straightforward as a clicker to the face: focus on the game at hand, and let the sequels sort themselves out. At the D.I.C.E. Summit, alongside fellow game director Cory Barlog, Druckmann explained why pre-planning sequels is a creative no-no.

Jinxing It: The Sequel Curse and the Power of Now

For Druckmann, game development is an all-consuming beast. Splitting your attention between the present project and hypothetical sequels is like trying to fight off a horde of infected while simultaneously planning your retirement: "You're jinxing yourself if you're starting to think about the sequel when you're working on the first game." Instead, he embraces a "one game at a time" mentality, pouring every creative drop into the current narrative: "I'm not saving some idea for the future. If there's a cool idea, I'm doing my best to get it into here." So, while the internet buzzes with The Last of Us Part 3 theories, Druckmann remains tight-lipped. Even during Part 2's development, sequel brainstorming took a backseat to the immediate task at hand. Druckmann's approach stands in stark contrast to Cory Barlog's meticulously planned, interconnected narrative universes, which Barlog himself compared to the chaotic Pepe Silvia conspiracy board from It's Always Sunny. While Barlog meticulously charts his course across multiple games, Druckmann prefers a more organic, instinct-driven process. When the question of a sequel does arise, Druckmann's focus shifts to the characters. Have their stories run their course? Is there more to explore? Or is it time for a dramatic curtain call? "I feel like the answer is, they can't go anywhere, then I go, 'I think we'll just kill them off.'" He insists he's "half joking," but the sentiment rings true. Sequels must offer fresh narratives and unexplored facets of character development, not just a rehash of familiar tropes. If the creative well is dry, it's time to move on.

From Post-Apocalyptic Fungi to… Space Prophets?!

And move on they have. Naughty Dog is boldly venturing into the cosmos with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a sci-fi epic that promises a radical departure from their previous work. This PS5 exclusive signals a thrilling new direction for the studio, leaving fans buzzing with anticipation. What strange new galaxies await? Only time (and Neil Druckmann) will tell.