Even though HBO’s The Last of Us is coming to an end, it sounds like the franchise itself isn’t going anywhere.

Game co-creator Neil Druckmann stepped down as co-showrunner of the HBO series last year, and in a new interview with The Washington Post, he revealed that Naughty Dog has also taken a step back from the show’s creative direction.

That means Druckmann isn’t directly involved with shaping Season 3, and neither is Naughty Dog.

“I wasn’t involved in shaping this season’s creative direction, and Naughty Dog did not have a creative role in the direction of this season,” Druckmann explained. “So I can’t personally speak to how production is progressing.”

Production on Season 3 was temporarily paused in Vancouver this summer while the city hosted the FIFA World Cup. Filming has since resumed and is expected to continue through the rest of the year, with the season currently planned to premiere in 2027.

But the bigger news is what comes after.

While Season 3 will bring HBO’s adaptation of the games to an end, Druckmann made it clear that Naughty Dog isn’t finished with The Last of Us.

“As the creator of the games, Naughty Dog is still the steward of this IP and even though this might be the end of this adaptation, we’re not done with ‘The Last of Us,’” he said.

And apparently, there are already things happening behind the scenes.

“There’s a couple projects in the works that, when the time is right, I’m very excited to talk about.”

Naturally, Druckmann didn’t reveal what those projects actually are. So for now, we’re left to speculate.

As for the HBO series, The Last of Us Season 3 will be the show’s final season, with Craig Mazin remaining as showrunner.

Season 2 jumped five years ahead from the events of the first season and introduced Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, as one of the story’s central characters. Season 3 is expected to lean even further into Abby’s perspective, with the Seraphites also playing a major role.

Bella Ramsey returns as Ellie, alongside Isabela Merced, Gabriel Luna, and Jeffrey Wright.

Season 2 cast members Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord have also been promoted to series regulars for the third season.

Additional cast members include Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), Jason Ritter (Freddy vs. Jason), Clea DuVall (The Faculty), Li Jun Li (Sinners), Peter Sarsgaard (The Bride!), and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Bumblebee).

HBO’s The Last of Us may be approaching its final chapter, but based on Druckmann’s comments, it looks like Naughty Dog has more nightmares planned for the future.