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The Last Of Us 3 suffers new blow as Naughty Dog admit to second secret game

The Last Of Us 3 suffers new blow as Naughty Dog admit to second secret game

Metro20-05-2025

The makers of The Last Of Us are working a second new game that doesn't seem to be a sequel and is by the creative director of Mavel's Avengers.
It's now five years since Naughty Dog has released a brand new game. That means they haven't launched anything entirely new on the PlayStation 5, just remakes like The Last Of Us Part 1. They did announce Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet last year, but they didn't say when it would be out or show anything other than a few seconds of gameplay.
The assumption is that Intergalactic will be their next game, but studio head Neil Druckmann has revealed that he's also working on a second unannocued new game.
Naughty Dog has said before that they're making 'multiple' new single-player games at the moment, but there's no clue as to what they are. However, whatever this second title is it's very unlikely to be The Last Of Us Part 3, because Druckmann says he is not the director.
Druckmann has been inconsistent when discussing The Last Of Us Part 3, at times implying it has little chance of ever being made and at other times admitting he has an outline for the story.
Sony would no doubt love a third game, but Naughty Dog's fame and level of success appears to give them the freedom to do whatever they want, including cancelling plans for The Last Of Us Online.
Druckmann's comments were made as part of a Press X to Continue podcast, where he revealed that, 'there's another game that's being worked on at Naughty Dog where I am more of a producer role.'
'I get to mentor and watch this other team, and give feedback and be the executive in the room,' he added.
Unless he feels it's something Sony has forced upon the studio, it seems very unlikely that Druckmann would take such a back seat role for The Last Of Us Part 3, considering he was a director on the first two games (and heavily involved in the TV show).
His comments give no clue as to what this secret game is but back in March movie insider DanielRPK suggested that Naughty Dog has a second game underway, that's not The Last Of Us Part 3, and is being led by Shaun Escayg. More Trending
That matches very closely with what Druckmann said, with DanielRPK suggesting that the new game has already been in development for three years (a triple-A game usually needs at least five years nowadays).
Escayg started as an animator, before directing half-sequel Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and becoming creative director for Marvel's Avengers and then The Last Of Us Part 1 (as that implies, he left and then rejoined Naughty Dog).
Although there have been rumours of a remake, Naughty Dog has stated multiple times that it is done with the Uncharted franchise, with reports that Sony has been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to get other studios to work on it instead.
That's where the solid rumours dry up but there has been fan talk for some time now that Naughty Dog is working on a new fantasy IP, possibly one involving dragons. There's little evidence for that, but if the new game has been in development for three years, that could be the source of those rumours…
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Games Inbox: When will there be Nintendo Switch 2 console reviews?
Games Inbox: When will there be Nintendo Switch 2 console reviews?

Metro

time2 hours ago

  • Metro

Games Inbox: When will there be Nintendo Switch 2 console reviews?

The Wednesday letters page is surprised at Sony's provocative State of Play annoucement, as one reader finally starts to get excited about Nintendo Switch 2. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ No notes Pretty gutted to hear that there'll be no Nintendo Switch 2 reviews at launch but that was the rumour, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I don't really need a review of Mario Kart World, especially with the previews out, but I would've liked to see a detail hardware review of the console and its peripherals. Do you think it's possible a hardware focused site like Digital Foundry or a similar YouTube channel could've been sent the consoles early to review just them, and not the games? I haven't pre-ordered, but I was probably planning to pick one up this week if I can, now I don't know what to do. I don't really buy the day one update excuse (what's the betting the patch notes don't explain anything?) but I also don't know why else they'd do this. Nintendo games always review well so it's kind of worrying that they don't think these ones will. Benjy Dog GC: It's possible Nintendo could've given hardware-only outlets early access, but as far as we know everyone in Europe is in the same situation (or worse) as us. Perhaps one or two of the bigger US sites will get them earlier but we don't think so, given they haven't got them yet. Less than perfect So there we have it, officially: there will be no Nintendo Switch 2 reviews before launch and I'm guessing not until next week. Although I'm sure we'll see a bunch from more unreliable sites anyway, which is a handy opportunity to make a note of who never to listen to in the future. I think probably Nintendo is not trying to manipulate anything exactly, but I have seen a number of previews, including GC and Eurogamer, have pointed out that the open world isn't really used for much, other than messing around. This is not something I'd considered before, I just assumed it would have all sorts of extra races and things, but it seems the extra missions are pretty trivial. Nobody seems entirely sure, because nobody has played more than five hours or so, but if this has been left intentionally blank for future DLC I think that's pretty cynical and will backfire badly, given the cost of the game. But I don't know what the alternative is? That Nintendo has lost its touch and made a big open world and forgot to put anything in it? No one seems to be complaining about the actual races, but I don't get the impression this is going to be getting any 10/10 scores. Focus Poke the bear Pretty shocking that Sony would have their State of Play try and undermine the Switch 2 launch. They can deny it is, but to announce it at the last minute like that, to take place literally an hour before the Switch 2 comes out. They knew exactly what they were doing. It's a long time since Sony has been this aggressive. I don't think they've even acknowledged Nintendo publicly since the PSP was battling the DS all those years ago. On the one hand it's childish and petty but on the other hand at least Sony did something. At least they woke up for a second and showed some fight. I worry that whatever's in the State of Play is just going to be more live service rubbish but if they manage to put out a good one then maybe this will be seen as a turning point and whatever it is they think they've been doing for the last two years can quickly become a memory. Hammeriron Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Now and then I sold my Xbox Series X last year and considered a PlayStation 5 but then Sony decided to raise the price while hinting at the PlayStation 6, which put the kibosh on that idea. But I've just bought a new gen Fire TV Max stick and noticed you can stream Xbox games with Game Pass Ultimate. So, while I wait to buy a Switch 2 (not pre-ordered), I dusted off my last remaining Xbox Series X controller – a custom job by The Juve using my Microsoft Reward points – bought one month's Game Pass and had a quick blast. I have to say it works really well – no problems with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or Atomfall so far, other than maybe around textures. Next up will be Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I recently upgraded to decent broadband though, so I doubt I'd have been as impressed a month ago. However, while I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it works, I still don't see the value in a persistent subscription, especially at the current price. I'll dip in and out I reckon and, frankly, physical media will always be king. Foximusprime81 (gamertag/NN ID) A right State Ain't that a gander. To see your week become busier than usual. Firstly, the most indomitable question must be asked. Doth Sony know, thy move is folly? Because their announcement screams only one word. It isn't genius or excitement. It's desperation. Sony are perhaps feeling the blues. With Nintendo two days away from stealing their limelight. Why commit the move of further humiliating themselves? Let's just say it. The State Of Play will disappoint us once more. It will marginally fail on each and every count. Why wouldn't it? Sony aren't exactly helping themselves, with the banal focus on live service titles, such as Marathon by Bungie. This intermittently reeks of even attempting to steer away the focus from Summer Games Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase. Because of either sheer mismanagement or a wrong chess move. At this point, must I even shake my head at the people who will expect the world and collect the scraps? Shahzaib Sadiq GC: The last State of Play was pretty good. 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And I won't be scalping if I get hold of one of them). Mario Kart 8 has become an almost nightly ritual for me and my partner, so Mario Kart World is a no-brainer, especially with the bundle. I'm like 95% through Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, so intend to upgrade and finish that, and strangely I'm dying to play the original Ridge Racer via Arcade Archives. Is that the most amazing launch line-up I've ever encountered? No, but with Donkey Kong: Bananza in July, Metroid Prime 4 at some point, and maybe some bits and bobs before Christmas I'd say it's a strong enough suite of games for a launch window. My biggest worry is figuring out which SD card works and what to buy and transferring my games and saves from my launch Switch 1. Looking forward to your and other readers' reactions to the console and games. We're finally here! ANON Inbox also-ransI have to say that Mario Kart World review was kind of concerning. 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These wireless headphones have finally outranked my all-time favourites
These wireless headphones have finally outranked my all-time favourites

The Independent

time6 hours ago

  • The Independent

These wireless headphones have finally outranked my all-time favourites

Sony WH-1000XM6 design and comfort While the all-new XM6 borrow some of the same minimalist styling as the XM5, Sony's made enough changes here that it feels like an upgrade. The earcups are rounder and more sculpted, ditching that slightly squared-off look that never quite grew on me. They look more polished, with no seam running down the side of the earcups. But beyond the cleaner design, one of the first things you'll notice is that they fold again. After abandoning the hinges on the XM5, Sony's brought them back, and it genuinely makes a world of difference. The headphones now collapse inwards into a much more travel-friendly shape, making them easier to chuck into a bag. The only annoying bit? Despite the smaller footprint, the case is still just as big as the zip-up one that came with the XM5. That said, I genuinely love the design of the new case. You fold the headphones up, pop them in and close the lid. It's instant – it clicks shut with a magnetic flap, so there's no faffing about trying to line up a zip. You still get an internal pocket for cables, and the whole thing feels sturdy and protective. There's also a wider headband. It's still wrapped in that soft vegan leather, but the underside is now flatter and thicker towards the back, so it's easier to tell which way round to wear them without feeling around for the tactile L marker. The tweak is supposed to improve comfort and weight distribution – and maybe it will for some people – but I actually found its predecessor more comfortable. The new fit has a firmer clamping force that improves sound isolation, but after long sessions, I started to feel a bit of pinch at the crown. It's not unbearable, but a little more noticeable than I'd like. The XM5s felt more relaxed on my head, especially when wearing them for a full day. They didn't fall off or rattle around my head when I was wearing them at the gym, however. Talking of tactile markers, the power button has a small but welcome glow-up. It's now circular and slightly recessed, making it much easier to locate by touch, so no more thumbing around the cup wondering if you've just hit the ANC toggle by mistake. That's still a longer, flatter strip, so the two are thankfully easy to tell apart without looking. You can also turn the ANC button into a microphone mute button in the Sony Sound Connect settings – this will mute and unmute your mic if you click the ANC button twice. There are minor changes to the touch controls, but they feel more responsive this time around. I didn't find myself repeating gestures as often as I did with the XM5. There's still no haptic feedback, but there are sound effects, so you know when swipes and taps are registered. The XM6 come in black, platinum silver and a new midnight blue colour. Overall, it's just a much more refined pair of cans compared to the XM5. Sony WH-1000XM6 features The WH-1000XM6 are just as feature-packed as ever. If you've used the XM5s, most of this will feel familiar. Speak-to-Chat (which pauses your music the moment you start talking) isn't turned on by default anymore, a welcome change if, like me, you've always found it more annoying than helpful. Quick Attention mode is still here and works well – just cover the right earcup and it'll pipe in the outside world without you having to fumble with buttons. You've also got support for LDAC, high-res wireless audio, multipoint for two devices, and DSEE Extreme upscaling. But there are new tricks worth flagging. The first is auto switch, a feature borrowed from Sony's newer LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open. It automatically switches the music to your LinkBuds speaker when you return home (or pause your music on your headphones). Leave the house, and it'll switch it straight back to your headphones again. It's a really neat little feature. One of my other favourite features from the LinkBuds is also here: Background Music mode. This pushes your music outwards, so it feels like it's coming from a distance, a little like listening to a playlist in a café. It's really good if you need to focus but don't want it to be completely silent. It'll stop you from singing along to tracks because it sounds so far away. The XM6 also feature a new QN3 processor that's said to be seven times faster than the QM1 chip in the XM5. It powers smarter noise cancelling, with a new adaptive NC optimiser that adjusts on the fly depending on your environment and how much you're moving (but more on that below). There's now a dedicated Cinema mode that upmixes stereo sound into Sony's 360 Reality Audio. I tried this while watching a couple of shows on Netflix and was genuinely surprised by how immersive it felt. Dialogue still sounded clean and centred, but ambient effects and music had a bit more air and spatial separation. Is it Dolby Atmos? No. But for stereo content, it's surprisingly convincing. There's also a new ten-band EQ (up from the 5-band EQ on the XM5), including a dedicated Gaming preset, plus support for Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast, though there's not much that takes advantage of those just yet. One neat upgrade is that you can now listen while charging – something the XM5 didn't allow. Sadly, there's still no USB-C audio, so wired playback is limited to the 3.5mm jack. Sony WH-1000XM6 noise cancellation and call quality Sony's noise cancellation has always been among the best, but the WH-1000XM6 improve that even further, making noise cancellation more consistent and natural. The XM5 had a slightly annoying lag with the ANC when the noise level changed. I found that if I walked from a quiet room into a noisy office, I'd hear that swoosh of sound sneak in before the ANC kicked in to silence it. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but it was distracting. I'm pleased to report that doesn't happen on the XM6 in my initial tests. With the new adaptive NC optimiser, it now feels much more stable and immediate. It handles shifts in environmental sound well without drawing attention to itself. It's better in every way. It's not quite as forceful as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, which still has a kind of vacuum-seal feel, but the XM6 is less fatiguing and more natural over long sessions. Wind noise was barely an issue in testing, even when walking outdoors or near traffic. Saying that, I still think ambient mode is better on the AirPods Max. While it's definitely improved, and you can hear practically every sound in your environment, the AirPods always make it sound like you're not wearing any headphones at all. There's still a little bit of blunting of environmental sounds with these headphones. In terms of call quality. Sony's new beamforming setup now uses three mics per earcup instead of two, and combined with some clever AI, it's remarkably good at isolating your voice. I made a few long calls in loud environments and didn't get a single 'Can you repeat that?' back. However, it still struggles a little with the wind. If you wanted better and more subtle noise-cancelling from your headphones, Sony's really delivered with the XM6 on first test. Sony WH-1000XM6 sound OK, Sony's done it. These are my favourite-sounding noise-cancelling headphones right now – and I don't say that lightly. I already liked the tuning on the XM5s, but I always found that the bass lacked a little richness. These fix that issue and bring the sound to an all-new level. There's a newly developed 30mm driver built with the same carbon fibre composite materials in Sony's premium Walkman range, and it has been tuned in collaboration with Grammy-winning mastering engineers. Sony says this gives your music better separation, deeper bass and more clarity across the board. There's also a look-ahead noise shaper built into the processor, designed to smooth out sudden changes in volume and reduce distortion when streaming. Even without playing around with any EQ settings, the XM6 sound more spacious and balanced. When I listened to the vocals on Olivia Rodrigo's Sour, I could feel more depth and better separation in the mids. Bass is stronger too, but not in a showy way; it's less murky, more present. The rubbery synth bassline on MGMT's Little Dark Age used to feel a bit bloated on the XM5s, but here it's tight and punchy, gliding underneath the track without swallowing everything else. Dan Romer's Station Eleven score also sounds sparse and intimate. The XM6 do a better job of capturing string swells, with a sense of texture that wasn't quite as defined on the XM5. If you're coming from the XM5s, it's a clear step up, and I think the XM6s are more musical than the Bose QC Ultra or the AirPods Max. After a few days of listening, these are excellent. As for battery life, it's still rated at 30 hours – the same as the XM5 – but I haven't had long enough with them to say how accurate that claim is just yet. They've held up well so far, even with ANC on, but I'll need more time to test them properly across longer stretches. Still, in 2025, 30 hours doesn't feel quite as generous as it used to. Plenty of cheaper models can eke out more.

Nick Offerman SLAMS anti-gay Parks and Recreation joke during Pride month amid latest Jonathan Joss murder theory
Nick Offerman SLAMS anti-gay Parks and Recreation joke during Pride month amid latest Jonathan Joss murder theory

Daily Mail​

time7 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Nick Offerman SLAMS anti-gay Parks and Recreation joke during Pride month amid latest Jonathan Joss murder theory

Nick Offerman publicly blasted Michael Flynn Jr. for tweeting an anti-gay Parks and Recreation joke during LGBTQIA Pride month. The nepo baby of disgraced National Security Advisor Michael Flynn shared a doctored clip of the 54-year-old Peabody Award winner's character Ron Swanson trashing a Pride flag (which was really a computer) into a dumpster. 'Good morning and Happy Sunday!' Flynn captioned his X post on Sunday. 'Just wanted to post how I feel about "pride" month.' Outraged, Nick - who boasts 3.4M social media followers - offered his NSFW response on Monday: 'Ron was best man at a gay wedding you dumb f***. #HappyPride.' Indeed, Offerman's parks and recreation director was the best man at his hairdresser Norman 'Typhoon' Montalban's (Rodney To) nuptials to Craig Middlebrooks (Billy Eichner) in the 2015 series finale of the NBC mockumentary sitcom. And in 2023, the Illinois native won an Emmy Award and an Independent Spirit Award for his searing portrayal of doomsday prepper Bill - who enjoyed a 20-year, post-apocalyptic romance with Frank (Murray Bartlett) - in HBO 's The Last of Us. The nepo baby of disgraced National Security Advisor Michael Flynn shared a doctored clip of the 54-year-old Peabody Award winner's character Ron Swanson trashing a Pride flag (which was really a computer) into a dumpster Nick's tweet came the day after he suffered the loss of his openly gay former co-star Jonathan Joss, who portrayed Chief Ken Hotate in five episodes of Parks and Recreation spanning 2011-2015. Jonathan was pronounced dead, at age 59, when paramedics were unable to revive him after neighbor Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja (being held on $200K bond) confessed to shooting him several times - according to TMZ. And while Joss' widow Tristan Kern de Gonzales alleged the shooting was a hate crime, the San Antonio Police Department 'has found no evidence to indicate that his murder was related to his sexual orientation.' 'The cast has been texting together about it all day and we're just heartbroken,' Offerman wrote in a statement to People on Monday. 'Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy.' The Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning actor has been married to Will & Grace alum Megan Mullally for over 21 years, and the couple are scheduled to appear at Australian festival Vivid Sydney on June 14. Nick currently voices divorced father-of-four Beef Tenderloin Tobin in the fifth season of Alaska-set animated sitcom The Great North, which airs Thursdays on Fox. Offerman will then portray anti-government Jerry Kane in Christian Swegal's father-son crime drama Sovereign - hitting US theaters July 11 - alongside Megan Mullally, Dennis Quaid, and Jacob Tremblay. Outraged, Nick - who boasts 3.4M social media followers - offered his NSFW response on Monday: 'Ron was best man at a gay wedding you dumb f***. #HappyPride' And in 2023, the Illinois native won an Emmy Award and an Independent Spirit Award for his searing portrayal of doomsday prepper Bill - who enjoyed a 20-year, post-apocalyptic romance with Frank (L, Murray Bartlett) - in HBO's The Last of Us Nick's tweet came the day after he suffered the loss of his openly gay former co-star Jonathan Joss (pictured), who portrayed Chief Ken Hotate in five episodes of Parks and Recreation spanning 2011-2015 And while Joss' widow Tristan Kern de Gonzales alleged the shooting was a hate crime, the San Antonio Police Department 'has found no evidence to indicate that his murder was related to his sexual orientation' Nick currently voices divorced father-of-four Beef Tenderloin Tobin (M) in the fifth season of Alaska-set animated sitcom The Great North, which airs Thursdays on Fox The Umbrella Academy actor also voices Papa Smurf's brother Ken in Chris Miller's animated musical Smurfs - hitting US/UK theaters July 18 - alongside Rihanna, James Corden, Natasha Lyonne, Jimmy Kimmel, Kurt Russell, and John Goodman. Nick and co-author Lee Buchanan will release their 224-page children's guide book to 'tools and tomfoolery' Little Woodchucks on October 14. It will mark Offerman's sixth book.

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