“Well, I'm not watching anything, so... Dr. Uckmann's next game is THE LAST OF US PART III which is currently in production at Naughty Dog.”

“Dr. Uckmann” is referring to Druckmann, whose previous work has included the first The Last of Us game as well as Naughty Dog’s Uncharted franchise.

If true, this title would be the third The Last of Us game that is currently in development at Naughty Dog, the other two being the PC version of The Last of Us Part I and the multiplayer-focused Factions 2, which the developer announced at the 2022 Summer Games Festival.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the first game, which was released in 2013, is set in a dystopian world where a fungus has caused a devastating zombie-esque apocalypse. Ellie, a queer teenager, may hold the key to ending the plague. She’s guided across the country by a man named Joel, who, throughout the game, becomes her surrogate father. It’s an incredibly moving story and a stellar, if terrifying, game.

It was followed up by The Last of Us Part II in 2020, which picks up Ellie and Joel’s story and takes a darker (and more overtly queer) turn into a revenge story. While it has proven divisive, the game is another example of incredibly powerful and effective storytelling, and it left the door open for another, final chapter (and hopefully some catharsis).

There’s no word yet on when a third part would be released — after all, it hasn’t even been officially announced — but thankfully between the new HBO series (which premieres on Jan. 15, 2023) and the upcoming Factions 2, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to hang out in Ellie’s world, as dark and emotional as it may be.