The Last of Us Part 3: Release date and everything we know so far

THE LAST of Us is as popular as it’s ever been, following the airing of the Last of Us TV series and a remake of the first game. 

Sony has been on a roll lately with its first-party PlayStation titles, and many have been wondering if a follow-up to The Last of Us Part 2 is in the works. 

While information is fairly light at the moment, we do have a few clues as to what else might be in store for the series. 

Here’s everything we know about The Last of Us Part 3 so far.

Is Last of Us Part 3 coming? 

Following the release of The Last of Us Part 2, many were hoping to see a third game in the series, and there have been hints at a potential sequel.

Neil Druckmann, who was the creative director of Part 2, has said that there’s a rough plot and story outline for a third game, but that it might not happen for a while.

Druckmann later said that he thought there was more story left to tell in that universe, but that it would only happen if they could find a compelling story.

If a third game were to happen, it’s likely that it wouldn’t be until late 2024 at the earliest, if not much later.

Is Joel alive in Last of Us 3? 

Be aware that the following will contain major spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2, so if you haven’t played the game yet, you might want to avoid this section.

Assuming The Last of Us Part 3 is set after the events of The Last of Us Part 2, it’s very unlikely Joel will feature in the game. 

That’s because he dies fairly early on in the second game in the series, and only appears in flashbacks for the rest of the game. 

It is possible that The Last of Us Part 3 is a prequel to the first game, or set in between 1 and 2, which could mean Joel makes an appearance.

Who will be the main character in The Last of Us 3?

There are many options for The Last of Us Part 3’s protagonist, but it really depends on what kind of story Naughty Dog wants to tell. 

A story following Ellie after the events of The Last of Us Part 2 has been floated as a potential idea, or it could follow Abby. 

It’s also possible that the next entry could take a big leap forward in time, and instead focus on Ellie and Dina’s child, JJ. 

The other possibility is that the story centres on Levi, or it could be an entirely new character to the series, set in a different location. 

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.