More than a decade ago, The Last of Us took the gaming scene by storm with the way it handled its narrative elements while also ensuring that the gameplay aspects don’t get impacted. It was another step in the right direction for Naughty Dog, which was enjoying the success of the Uncharted trilogy.

Bringing that kind of quality to Joel and Ellie’s journey but with a post-apocalyptic twist, the IP arguably became the developer’s most recognized work, but that kind of association comes with a setback. And Neil Druckmann wants to make it clear that he won’t limit the vision of his studio to just one IP, regardless of how impactful it’s managed to be.

The Last of Us Director Does Not Want Only the IP to Define the Studio

Despite The Last of Us’ massive popularity, the studio co-president does not want to be known for just the IP.
Despite The Last of Us’ massive popularity, the studio co-president does not want to be known for just the IP.

In a surprising turn of events, it did not take long for Neil Druckmann to take part in another interview after the controversial one with Sony was officially deleted. While the video game director claimed that his upcoming effort is going to be his “most thrilling” title yet, it may actually not be another installment in the post-apocalyptic series.

“I promise you,” stated Druckmann in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, “we will not be ‘The Last of Us’ studio forever,” clarifying that despite the IP’s huge popularity, moving on to something fresh seems to be the studio’s current approach.

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The studio co-president also mentioned that there are quite a few projects in the developer’s pipeline at the moment, and with “multiple single-player projects” on the table as well, breaking away from the shadow of The Last of Us could become a possibility.

Interestingly, that could also suggest that even after the Online project based on the IP was recently scrapped, Naughty Dog might be developing other multiplayer experiences simultaneously. But given the developer’s recent track record with “experiences that are stepped in story and character,” its narrative-driven titles still seem to be on top priority.

The Post-Apocalyptic IP Was Initially Not a Concept for a Video Game

Joel and Ellie’s adventure was meant to be showcased in the form of a graphic novel.
Joel and Ellie’s adventure was meant to be showcased in the form of a graphic novel.

One of the major reasons why The Last of Us turned out to be such a massive hit is because players got to go on an interactive journey with Joel and Ellie, which is a level of impact that can’t really be achieved with other mediums.

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However, the origins of the post-apocalyptic tale were quite different, as Druckmann initially wanted to translate it from his mind into a graphic novel.

After joining Naughty Dog and failing to put a realistic spin on the developer’s signature series Jax and Dexter, Neil Druckmann suggested the IP that would change the future of the studio forever.

Things have been pretty quiet regarding any substantial details about any of the upcoming Naughty Dog projects, but if these minor teases are anything to go by, gamers are in for some great story-driven experiences.

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