Fans were divided over Ellie’s final decision in The Last of Us Part II. Some wanted her to kill Abby while others believed that sparing her was a full circle for her story. According to some fans, The Last of Us Part II had a lackluster ending with Ellie sparing Abby and forgiving her instead of going through the usual murder route. That leaves room for a lot of possibilities in the next iteration, although people are eager to know whether Ellie will make a return as the main character.
Ellie by now, has turned into the face of the franchise. Ashley Johnson’s portrayal of the character has left everyone in awe, and people believe Ellie’s relationship with Joel is one of the best that gaming ever gave us. Hence, considering Ellie’s importance, we believe Naughty Dog has to keep her in the franchise.
Neill Druckmann seemingly confirms ‘THE LAST OF US PART 3’ is happening.
“It does feel like there’s probably one more chapter to this story.” pic.twitter.com/IvbDXMMnKt
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 2, 2024
Fans were majorly disappointed when Naughty Dog killed off Joel in The Last of Us Part II and they still face criticism over it. To avoid that backlash again, the developers must not only keep Ellie in the franchise but also keep her alive. However, since Ellie’s story has come full circle, there is a possibility that she might just return as a side character. It could be that the franchise will have another protagonist and keep Ellie as an NPC in The Last of Us Part 3.
When will The Last of Us Part 3 Release?
Neil Druckmann recently claimed that the Last of Us story has “one more chapter.” The documentary Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II shared the process of making the game and how every creative decision came together to make The Last of Us Part II possible. Now, this is only a “concept” in Neil’s mind, and executing it will probably take a lot more time than anticipated. So even if there are talks of a third game for the franchise, it won’t happen anytime soon.
The development cycle of the game has not started yet and depending on that, the game’s release window, promos, and marketing will be determined. In terms of the franchise, it is in a good place with The Last of Us TV show receiving tons of praise. Thus, even if we get a Last of Us Part 3, it will be a good three to five years before we see the game hit the shelves since it takes a lot of time for Naughty Dog to nail every element of the game from the story, gameplay, motion capture and more.
The Last of Us is one of Sony’s most treasured franchises and it will continue to be so for years to come. It has a ton of potential and is alive and well due to fans who have fallen in love with characters like Ellie and Joel. While the latter won’t be the focus of the next games, Ellie will still be an important character no matter who takes center stage as the protagonist.
