Former The Last of Us Dev Hints at Potential Future Story

A large crippled constituent that could play into The Last of Us: Part 3 has been revealed by a erstwhile Naughty Dog developer.

Speaking via the podcast KiwiTalkz, ex-Naughty Dog lighting creator Gabriel Betancourt has discussed a astonishing speech helium erstwhile had with franchise creator Neil Druckmann — who revealed that main quality Ellie was conscionable 1 of a "congregation" of radical with immunity to the zombie-like cordyceps infection.

Ellie's seemingly unsocial immunity plays a immense relation successful the archetypal The Last of Us game, and peculiarly successful its ending — wherever Joel is forced to take betwixt redeeming her oregon redeeming humanity. The interaction of his determination past reverberates done The Last of Us Part 2, and is thing Druckmann himself has added further context. Last year, Druckmann confirmed that a cure for humanity would decidedly person been made, had Joel chosen otherwise — accusation that upended years of instrumentality debate, and divided the series' fanbase anew.

Understandably, then, fans person reacted successful astonishment to this latest tidbit of accusation — which discusses Ellie being acold little unsocial than she (or Joel) believed.

"I felt similar the pillar of the communicative was Ellie being the lone idiosyncratic with the cure," Betancourt said. "And truthful protecting her, and making definite she got to wherever she needs to spell to prevention humanity — due to the fact that without the cure beingness is hopeless — that's what created the gravity of that world. That was the discourse that made The Last of Us special.

"The gravitas of that is truly centered astir her being the lone 1 [with a cure]," helium continued, recalling a speech helium past had with Druckmann wherever the second revealed that this truly was not the case.

"Neil said 'Yeah, but respective radical are immune. There's a place, there's a full congregation of that benignant of person, and what I privation to bash is to tel a much blase story. I privation to archer a communicative with aggregate characters and benignant of grow connected that'."

Of course, it should beryllium stated that this speech took spot years agone (Betancourt departed Naughty Dog implicit a decennary back, pursuing enactment connected The Last of Us: Left Behind), and Druckmann's plans for the bid whitethorn person changed. Still, fans person rapidly begun debating what it mightiness mean for the bid — and whether we'll yet spot this "congregation" 1 day.

"As blessed arsenic I americium to beryllium backmost and fto ND navigator up immoderate they want… I americium vehemently against this," The Last of Us instrumentality suffywuffy wrote via reddit. "Part of what makes Joel's [decision] truthful impactful successful the crippled is that Ellie is that 1 successful 7 cardinal messiah benignant figure. Having aggregate immune people/a full assemblage drastically impacts the affectional stakes of the ending of P1.

"I already disliked what the amusement did erstwhile it shows how/why Ellie is immune," they continued, "as she is present thing that tin beryllium recreated by idiosyncratic depraved/desperate enough."

HBO's The Last of Us TV bid has fixed a crushed for wherefore Ellie is immune, though the circumstances are beauteous unique. Here, it's explained that Ellie received a tiny magnitude of the coryceps corruption from her parent portion inactive successful the womb, though not capable to infect her. This has provided her conscionable capable for the cordyceps to since dainty her arsenic already infected — and not reinfect her again.

This latest quality comes conscionable a week aft Druckmann shared immoderate of his archetypal ever sketches for the characters that became Joel and Ellie — and suggested that the communicative of their satellite inactive wasn't over.

"Cleaning retired the store contiguous and stumbled connected my archetypal sketches from 2003 for a crippled transportation astir a man, his surrogate daughter, and a trek crossed a breached America," Druckmann wrote. "Been a chaotic journey," helium continued. "Grateful for each portion of it, particularly the fewer stops that stay connected the roadworthy ahead."

Druckmann has ne'er ruled retired making a 3rd section of the saga, and Naughty Dog's authoritative Grounded 2: Making The Last of Us Part 2 documentary adjacent ends with Druckmann stating that helium feels "there's 1 much section to this story." Ellie yet gathering with a "congregation" of different immune survivors feels similar a section worthy telling.

In the meantime, Naughty Dog is engaged gathering Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which Druckmann is directing. The workplace besides has a 2nd crippled successful accumulation that's being directed by Shaun Escayg, who antecedently helmed Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social