Has The Last of Us Part 3 Missed Its PS5 Opportunity?

Beyond GTA 6, The Last of Us Part 3 may be the most anticipated game for fans, and it was expected to be a flagship release for Sony’s PS5. As time goes on though, it’s looking less and less likely, and for a few good reasons. With the success and fervor surrounding HBO’s show, it’s surprising we’re being made to wait so long. Will it make it to PS6 though?

The Last of Us Part 3 is Coming… Eventually

It wasn’t so long ago that Geoff Keighley’s premier gaming event The Game Awards went and blew the gaming industry apart, with fans largely considering it one of the best in years. Rumors and chatter were occurring before the event, with many hearing that Naughty Dog would be making an appearance, and of course, we all thought that’d be with The Last of Us Part 3.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on where you fall, that was wrong, and instead, we got the reveal of a brand new IP with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. So different from the previous franchises of Naughty Dog, it looks to be a brand new experience, but a AAA one nonetheless, and yet most fans were all saying the same thing; when and where are we getting The Last of Us Part 3?

With the Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet release date unknown and it unlikely to release in 2025, and perhaps not even 2026, that’d put it in the far distant 2027, which, if rumors are to be believed, may well be the earliest likely year we’re going to see Sony launching the PS6.

Rumors and Next-Gen PS6 Release Dates

With rumors recently indicating that Sony has ramped up their plans for the PS6, with AMD partnerships, a complete design, and much more leaked, the next-gen isn’t that far away any longer. Pair that with hugely long developmental cycles for AAA games, with the average being 4+ years, costs ballooning, mass industry layoffs for developers, and the chances of us seeing The Last of Us Part 3 this console generation is getting smaller by the day.

Naughty Dog is a developer that has previously developed multiple games at the same time, but after Neil Druckmann’s omission during the Grounded documentary that he has an idea, but not the full story yet, he’s either a great liar, or The Last of Us Part 3 is properly on the backburner for the studio. The expected flagship release for the PS5 is fast becoming the expected flagship release for the PS6.