An Instagram post from a Naughty Dog developer has fuelled hopes for Uncharted’s return, despite them ruling it out in the past.
At the moment, we know developer Naughty Dog is working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but this isn’t the only title the studio is cooking up.
Back in 2023, when the studio cancelled The Last Of Us Online, Naughty Dog confirmed it was developing ‘more than one ambitious, brand new single-player game’. One of these, as we know now, is new IP Intergalactic, but beyond that it’s a mystery as to what else they’re doing.
Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann has teased The Last Of Us Part 3 on several occasions, but now an Instagram post from another director at the studio has sparked hopes for the return of another franchise.
In a post from February 17 this year, that has only just made the rounds in fan circles, Shaun Escayg, who co-directed 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, shared an image of a historic cannon looking out onto a city. While it hasn’t been verified, internet sleuths believe it’s a photo from Fort George in Trinidad and Tobago.
While you might pass this off as a trivial holiday snap, Escayg ominously captioned the picture: ‘Research…’
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It could be related to a number of things, but based on the photo’s vibes and Escayg’s history with the series, many are joining the dots to a potential Uncharted comeback.
‘Give me Sully prequel,’ one fan wrote on ResetEra. Another added: ‘It does give Uncharted vibes. Fort/Ruins/Historical location with the comment is coincidental at minimum to me.’
Previously, Naughty Dog has said it has ‘moved on’ from Uncharted, but there is room for the series to continue through Nathan Drake’s daughter Cassie, who appears in the epilogue sequence of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Sony is also developing a sequel to the 2022 Uncharted film, and while it’s unclear when it will come out, the original film’s success may have given Naughty Dog an incentive to return to the series.
A report from last year claimed Naughty Dog was in development on a second game beyond Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which wasn’t The Last Of Us Part 3. While there were no explicit details, it was said to have been in development for three years at that point, and directed by Escayg.
So, while it’s unclear if this photo is related to Uncharted, Escayg’s post does seem to be a tease of a secret Naughty Dog project. Last year, Druckmann said he was acting as a producer on a second game at the studio, so it’s very likely this is the project he was referring to.
Whatever it ends up being, the big question is when it could be released. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet doesn’t have a release date yet but it’s expected to launch sometime in 2027, so any other titles will likely arrive in 2028 at the earliest.
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