We’re all twiddling our thumbs waiting to see what Naughty Dog is cooking up behind the scenes. Four years have passed since The Last of Us 2, and while remakes and the acclaimed TV show have kept us entertained, we’re ready for the next chapter. Studio head Neil Druckmann recently spoke about Naughty Dog’s future with Sony, but it appears that Druckmann’s comments aren’t as they originally seemed. Now, Druckmann is setting the record straight.
Earlier this week, Druckmann reflected on some of the best games in Naughty Dog’s library, like the acclaimed PlayStation exclusive The Last of Us. Naturally, the interview with Sony shifted toward what lies ahead for a potential new PS5 game from the developer, with Druckmann supposedly adding that it “could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.” However, this isn’t quite how it went down in the full interview.
According to Druckmann, a recent social media post says that “in editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with Sony, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost.” Furthermore, the Naughty Dog head includes the full unabridged version of his “full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game.” You can view the full interview response below:
Notably, Druckmann says that “because of The Last of Us, and the success of the show, people even outside of gaming are looking at us to see what it is that we put out next. I’m very excited to see what the reaction for this thing will be — and I’ve already said too much about it. I’ll stop there. So, you’re asking me for my dream projects. I’ve been very lucky to have worked on my favorite games with incredible collaborators, and I’m very thankful for them.”
While we know Druckmann’s true meaning now, it doesn’t make the wait any easier for Naughty Dog’s next project. With the studio’s The Last of Us multiplayer game cancelled, and some ideas floating around for a third entry in the franchise, Naughty Dog is still yet to make an impact on the PlayStation 5. Sure, The Last of Us’ current-gen remake is impressive, as are the improvements made to the Uncharted franchise in recent years. Yet, we’re left longing to see if Naughty Dog can push its own innovations and creativity further.
Speculatively, we can consider the PS5 halfway through its life cycle, meaning that a PS6 could be in our homes by late 2027 to mid 2028. Will we see Naughty Dog harness the PS5’s power in a fresh title before then, and potentially release one of the best PS5 games available? We’ll have to wait and see for now.
In other gaming news, Helldivers 2 players are at risk of failing another Major Order, and the XDefiant Double XP weekend is currently live to ease your weapon grind.