Naughty Dog's Uncharted series sold millions of copies, got solid reviews, and was spun off into a movie starring Spider-Man actor Tom Holland--however, the game franchise has been dormant for years. Fans are wondering if Naughty Dog will return to its Indiana Jones-style action-adventure series, and while that remains to be seen, there have been clues about the future of the Uncharted series.
There are no guarantees that Uncharted 5 will ever happen, but there is a chance. Here is everything we've heard so far about the next Uncharted game.
In 2022, Shaun Escayg, a Naughty Dog veteran who worked on Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, said in an interview with GamesRadar that the team has a "never say never" attitude about making Uncharted 5. Uncharted 4 may have wrapped up series hero Nathan Drake's story, but that doesn't necessarily put a cap on where the franchise could go.
"I think we can say for certain that we can never say never. Yeah. Uncharted is a franchise we love--that the studio loves. It's a world we want to see more of. So I can certainly say that," Escayg said.
Escayg, in February of 2026, posted a vague Instagram photo of a cannon in a tropical environment that was captioned "research." People are theorizing that Escayg went to Fort George at Trinidad and Tobago to help research a new Uncharted game. It's rumored that merchants stored records and valuables at Fort George, further fueling the connection to Uncharted.
Nothing is certain, of course, and Escayg might have been referencing pretty much anything with his post, or nothing at all.
After cancelling The Last of Us Online in 2023, Naughty Dog said it had two single-player games in development. One is the new IP Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and the other remains a mystery. Some believe it could be The Last of Us: Part III, which Naughty Dog has seemingly teased time and again over the years. Others contend it could be a new Uncharted game.
If a fifth mainline Uncharted game is in the works, that doesn't necessarily mean Naughty Dog will make it. Studio head Neil Druckmann previously said Uncharted 5 could happen with a different developer. Naughty Dog would assist an outside studio to help make sure whatever team made a hypothetical new Uncharted game would get the "essence" right, Druckmann explained.
In 2016, just ahead of Uncharted 4's release, Druckmann told GameSpot that there was no guarantee that Naughty Dog would leave Uncharted behind forever, but he sounded pretty sure that would be the case. "There's no story left for us to tell," Druckmann said.
"Looking at the three games as setup, Uncharted 4 is the payoff," he elaborated. "If we're telling these stories honestly, and we're being honest with who these characters are, then we have to say, 'This is it, there's nothing else left to tell with this character. This is how it ends, and there's nothing to go on after that.'"
Dovetailing with the above mention of how another studio could make a new Uncharted game, Druckmann told us in 2016 that someone could pitch Naughty Dog on a prequel and the studio might agree to that.
Beyond the possibility of a prequel, some fans are wondering if a fifth game could take place after the events of Uncharted 4 and be told through the lens of Cassie, the daughter of Nathan Drake and Elena. In fact, the epilogue of Uncharted 4 had players playing as Cassie, walking through their home and discovering some of her father's artifacts that he himself found on his many journeys.
The previous Uncharted games told Nathan Drake's story, and 2017's The Lost Legacy told a story from Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross' perspective.
According to Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, there was "some planning of an Uncharted 5" prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Henderson didn't have any further details about these apparently plans or what the story for a fifth Uncharted game might be--only that the idea was kicked around in some manner. That only makes sense from a business and planning perspective, of course. The Uncharted series is well-known, has passionate fans, and has been dormant for a while, making it a potential prime candidate for a new entry to appeal to fans and create new ones.
Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann said in 2023 that he feels lucky that studio owner Sony trusts the company enough to allow Druckmann and other key decision-makers to choose what they make next. He said at the end of every project, "We purposefully explore several different projects" for what comes next. "Some of them might be a sequel, and then a bunch of new ideas. And then we feel like, 'Where do our passions lie?'"
Giving Naughty Dog the freedom to choose its own projects makes sense. After all, Naughty Dog has delivered hit after hit for Sony, presumably earning them respect and reputation. At the same time, of course Sony management would be involved in some capacity in meetings about what comes next. A variety of perspectives are no doubt calculated when Naughty Dog sets out to make a new game.
Naughty Dog has not released a "new" game during the PS5 generation. The Last of Us: Part II was released in 2020 for PS4 but didn't come to PS5 until 2024 in the form of a remaster, of sorts. There was also 2022's The Last of Us Part I, a remake of the 2013 game for PS5. A remastered version of The Last of Us: Part II was released for PS5 in January 2024. These are technically "new" games, but they are not brand-new games. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is expected to be Naughty Dog's first all-new game for PS5, but it's not scheduled to release until 2027 at the soonest.
There have been four mainline Uncharted games released since the franchise debuted in 2007, in addition to 2017's standalone spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which focused on Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross.
Here is a rundown of all 10 Uncharted games to date.
There is no indication that Uncharted 5 is real, let alone when it could be announced. That being said, Sony could announce it during one of its State of Play or PlayStation Showcase events, whenever the next one might be. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
Beyond the games, an Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland was released in 2022. It made more than $400 million worldwide, and is the No. 8 highest-grossing video game movie of all time. Studio Sony Pictures said Uncharted could become a film "franchise," but no new movies have been announced.
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There are no guarantees that Uncharted 5 will ever happen, but there is a chance. Here is everything we've heard so far about the next Uncharted game.
"Never say never"
In 2022, Shaun Escayg, a Naughty Dog veteran who worked on Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, said in an interview with GamesRadar that the team has a "never say never" attitude about making Uncharted 5. Uncharted 4 may have wrapped up series hero Nathan Drake's story, but that doesn't necessarily put a cap on where the franchise could go.
"I think we can say for certain that we can never say never. Yeah. Uncharted is a franchise we love--that the studio loves. It's a world we want to see more of. So I can certainly say that," Escayg said.
A cryptic photo
Escayg, in February of 2026, posted a vague Instagram photo of a cannon in a tropical environment that was captioned "research." People are theorizing that Escayg went to Fort George at Trinidad and Tobago to help research a new Uncharted game. It's rumored that merchants stored records and valuables at Fort George, further fueling the connection to Uncharted.
Nothing is certain, of course, and Escayg might have been referencing pretty much anything with his post, or nothing at all.
What else is Naughty Dog working on?
After cancelling The Last of Us Online in 2023, Naughty Dog said it had two single-player games in development. One is the new IP Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and the other remains a mystery. Some believe it could be The Last of Us: Part III, which Naughty Dog has seemingly teased time and again over the years. Others contend it could be a new Uncharted game.
A different studio could make Uncharted 5
If a fifth mainline Uncharted game is in the works, that doesn't necessarily mean Naughty Dog will make it. Studio head Neil Druckmann previously said Uncharted 5 could happen with a different developer. Naughty Dog would assist an outside studio to help make sure whatever team made a hypothetical new Uncharted game would get the "essence" right, Druckmann explained.
"There's no story left for us to tell"
In 2016, just ahead of Uncharted 4's release, Druckmann told GameSpot that there was no guarantee that Naughty Dog would leave Uncharted behind forever, but he sounded pretty sure that would be the case. "There's no story left for us to tell," Druckmann said.
"Looking at the three games as setup, Uncharted 4 is the payoff," he elaborated. "If we're telling these stories honestly, and we're being honest with who these characters are, then we have to say, 'This is it, there's nothing else left to tell with this character. This is how it ends, and there's nothing to go on after that.'"
Dovetailing with the above mention of how another studio could make a new Uncharted game, Druckmann told us in 2016 that someone could pitch Naughty Dog on a prequel and the studio might agree to that.
Beyond the possibility of a prequel, some fans are wondering if a fifth game could take place after the events of Uncharted 4 and be told through the lens of Cassie, the daughter of Nathan Drake and Elena. In fact, the epilogue of Uncharted 4 had players playing as Cassie, walking through their home and discovering some of her father's artifacts that he himself found on his many journeys.
The previous Uncharted games told Nathan Drake's story, and 2017's The Lost Legacy told a story from Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross' perspective.
"Some planning" for Uncharted 5
According to Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming, there was "some planning of an Uncharted 5" prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Henderson didn't have any further details about these apparently plans or what the story for a fifth Uncharted game might be--only that the idea was kicked around in some manner. That only makes sense from a business and planning perspective, of course. The Uncharted series is well-known, has passionate fans, and has been dormant for a while, making it a potential prime candidate for a new entry to appeal to fans and create new ones.
Naughty Dog chooses what it makes based on passion
Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann said in 2023 that he feels lucky that studio owner Sony trusts the company enough to allow Druckmann and other key decision-makers to choose what they make next. He said at the end of every project, "We purposefully explore several different projects" for what comes next. "Some of them might be a sequel, and then a bunch of new ideas. And then we feel like, 'Where do our passions lie?'"
Giving Naughty Dog the freedom to choose its own projects makes sense. After all, Naughty Dog has delivered hit after hit for Sony, presumably earning them respect and reputation. At the same time, of course Sony management would be involved in some capacity in meetings about what comes next. A variety of perspectives are no doubt calculated when Naughty Dog sets out to make a new game.
Naughty Dog has released nothing "new" on PS5 so far
Naughty Dog has not released a "new" game during the PS5 generation. The Last of Us: Part II was released in 2020 for PS4 but didn't come to PS5 until 2024 in the form of a remaster, of sorts. There was also 2022's The Last of Us Part I, a remake of the 2013 game for PS5. A remastered version of The Last of Us: Part II was released for PS5 in January 2024. These are technically "new" games, but they are not brand-new games. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is expected to be Naughty Dog's first all-new game for PS5, but it's not scheduled to release until 2027 at the soonest.
All the Uncharted games so far
There have been four mainline Uncharted games released since the franchise debuted in 2007, in addition to 2017's standalone spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which focused on Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross.
Here is a rundown of all 10 Uncharted games to date.
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007) - Developed by Naughty Dog and released on PS3
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) - Developed by Naughty Dog and released on PS3
- Uncharted: Drake's Deception (2011) - Developed by Naughty Dog and released on PS3
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2011) - Developed by Bend Studio and released on PlayStation Vita
- Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (2012) - Developed by Bend Studio and released on PlayStation Vita
- Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (2015) - Developed by Bluepoint Games and released on PS4
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) - Developed by Naughty Dog and released on PS4
- Uncharted: Fortune Hunter (2016) - Developed by Playspree and released on iOS and Android
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017) - Developed by Naughty Dog and released on PS4
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (2022) - Developed by Iron Galaxy and released on PS5 and PC
When could we learn more?
There is no indication that Uncharted 5 is real, let alone when it could be announced. That being said, Sony could announce it during one of its State of Play or PlayStation Showcase events, whenever the next one might be. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
What about the next Uncharted movie?
Beyond the games, an Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland was released in 2022. It made more than $400 million worldwide, and is the No. 8 highest-grossing video game movie of all time. Studio Sony Pictures said Uncharted could become a film "franchise," but no new movies have been announced.
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