Tһe Lаѕt of Uѕ Pаrt 3 іѕ comіng, mаrk my wordѕ

A short while ago, my stomach dropped - but only for a millisecond. Why? Well, I ventured on over to social media only to see that Neil Druckmann had hit the headlines, advising fans not to expect The Last of Us Part III. If you’re a regular around these parts, you’ve perhaps likely stumbled across me yapping about this franchise before as, fair to say, it means a lot to me. And while I’d never want The Last of Us Part III to be made for any reason other than the servicing of the series’ wider story, I still found myself gutted at the prospect of the game potentially never existing. I’ll be discussing spoilers regarding the previous two games from here on in.

I don’t particularly feel like Ellie is done exploring what her immunity means to her, especially now that Joel is no longer in the picture. And it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that it’s the Fireflies who can help her do that, the same group that Abby ends the story reuniting with. The indication of that fact is quite literally Part II’s final image, replacing the game’s start screen. It’s with all of that in mind that I just have this gut feeling that Ellie and Abby’s paths are destined to cross once more.

The Last of Us Part I explored love, while The Last of Us Part II examined ideas of revenge and justice. Could The Last of Us Part III centre around redemption? Unity? Closure? Is there a world where Abby and Ellie somehow put aside their differences to create a cure? Look, I’m not a world-class scriptwriter, but I don’t think it takes a genius to figure out that it feels as if The Last of Us is missing a conclusive instalment.

The Last of Us’ second season premieres on HBO on 13 April.

And it’s exactly for this reason that I felt confusion, more so than anything, when I read Druckmann’s recent comments. "I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more of [The] Last of Us. This could be it,” he told Variety. The Last of Us Part II certainly wasn’t structured in a way in which it relies on there being a sequel and yet, it still quietly invites one. Sure, you could end things as they are, but when you’ve already crafted two of the greatest games of all-time, and a conclusionary chapter feels both invited and unforced, Druckmann surely cannot resist the temptation of creating the perfect trilogy.

And as much as I said I wouldn’t want The Last of Us Part III to come to fruition for any reason other than the servicing of the saga’s story, it would be naive not to consider other factors at play. The Last of Us is one of PlayStation’s biggest IPs, especially given the immense success of the TV adaptation. The latest trailer for The Last of Us’ second season has just shattered HBO records, amassing 158 million views in three days. Sony is going to be seeing that mass appeal interest as a money-making opportunity for a third game, just as HBO is going to want the same so that there’s additional material to make up an additional conclusionary season or two.