While Naughty Dog has confirmed that it has been working on Intergalactic for quite some time now, according to a new report by Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, the studio previously considered making a fifth mainline entry in the Uncharted series. In a recent episode of the Insider Gaming Weekly, he said that the picture recently posted by creative director Shaun Escayg meant that the studio was “potentially doing new research into a new Uncharted 5 game.”
Henderson went on to note that this isn’t the first time that Naughty Dog has “flirted with the idea” of making an Uncharted 5. “I don’t know what they’re trying to do with it or whatever. I know that there was some planning of an Uncharted 5 before COVID.”
Henderson went on to discuss the state of the industry at large, noting that many companies might be aiming for safe bets rather than trying to create an entirely new IP. He brings up Bungie with Marathon as one point of comparison, noting that the studio’s safest bet would be a brand new Destiny game. Similarly, Naughty Dog would likely see new entries in The Last of Us and Uncharted as safe bets.
“I think the issue that we run into now is Uncharted 5 is considered a safe bet, right? And that’s what we’re going to see from a lot of studios. It’s like Bungie with Marathon,” he said. “I think that’s got a long tail on it, and it is probably going to do okay, right? Like, I don’t think it’s going to shut down next week or whatever, but the next safe bet for them is Destiny 3, and the next safe bet for Naughty Dog is obviously The Last of Us Part 3 and Uncharted.”
The Instagram post that sparked the entire discussion included a photo that, while looking like one that could be taken by any tourist visiting a scenic location, had the caption “Research…” under it. While Escayg didn’t reveal any further details on what the research could possibly be about, the general vibes of the photo could fit in quite well with a potential Uncharted 5, since the franchise typically takes players to scenic, beautiful places quite often.
It is worth noting that neither Naughty Dog nor Sony has made any official announcements regarding the franchise, and for all intents and purposes, the former is still focusing purely on Intergalactic’s development.
The last mainline entry in the Uncharted franchise was 2016’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Its story revolves around protagonist Nathan Drake getting pulled into one last major adventure, and deals with many themes, ranging from unresolved trauma from Nathan’s childhood to the responsibility he has for his new family with Elena.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End got a standalone expansion in 2017, dubbed Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. The title features Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross as its protagonists, and sees the two investigating the Hoysala Kingdom ruins. It featured a more open-ended structure for its second act, giving players plenty of freedom to tackle obstacles.
For more details, check out our review of the PC release of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, which features both titles.
