Uncharted Rumors Gain Momentum as PS6 Launch Window and 20th Anniversary Align

Rumors of a new Uncharted project are still swirling, and with the franchise’s 20th anniversary and the arrival of the PlayStation 6, it could be the perfect time for it to return.

If you've been waiting for news about the future of Uncharted, the conversation has started to pick up again. Rumors are still circulating about Naughty Dog's next project, and recent reports have only added to the speculation. While nothing has been confirmed officially, the situation is becoming clearer and harder to ignore.

One of the biggest talking points comes from recent claims that suggest Naughty Dog is actively working on a new Uncharted game. Those rumors have only gained more steam following some comments from Video Games Chronicle’s Jordan Middler, who has been very vocal about the project. Sony hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but with more and more reports of it, it’s becoming more and more believable.

It also aligns with what you've heard about Naughty Dog in the past couple of years. 

Shawn Escayg left the studio to work on Marvel's Avengers before returning in 2021, where he is believed to be leading Naughty Dog's second development team. Neil Druckmann has previously discussed a second team within the studio while explaining that he serves more as a consultant than the game's director.

Timing has also become a major part of the discussion. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the original Uncharted, which launched in November 2007. It's one of those milestones that naturally gets people thinking about whether Sony has something special planned for one of PlayStation's biggest franchises.

The anniversary also happens to line up with another event that has been dominating PlayStation discussions: the expected arrival of the PlayStation 6. While Sony hasn't officially announced the console, rumors surrounding its development continue to grow. If the company is preparing for a major hardware launch, bringing back one of its most recognizable franchises would make a lot of sense.

That creates two very different possibilities for where the series could go next. Remaking the first game is a way for Sony to pay homage to Uncharted’s legacy, allowing old fans to experience Nathan Drake’s first adventure again with better graphics and gameplay improvements. 

There are strong arguments for both options. A remake would celebrate the franchise's origins while taking advantage of modern hardware. A new sequel, meanwhile, would signal that Uncharted still has a future beyond its original story and could become one of the defining titles of PlayStation's next generation.

If Sony decides to revisit the original game, the marketing would be almost effortless. The company could market the project as a celebration of the franchise’s 20th anniversary, bringing Nathan Drake back to where it all started. It would also help introduce the series to a new generation of players before moving on to future iterations.

The other option would be an entirely new direction for the franchise. 

Instead of re-centering the game around Nathan Drake as the main playable character, Uncharted 5 could focus on his daughter, Cassie. Nathan would still return as part of the story, but this time he would take on more of a supporting role rather than leading the adventure himself.

That approach has been discussed for years ever since Uncharted 4 introduced Cassie during its ending. Rather than replacing Nathan entirely, the game could continue his legacy while allowing a new protagonist to carry the franchise into its next era. It would also allow Naughty Dog the opportunity to tell new stories without totally abandoning the characters fans already know.

Those ideas sound exciting, but there are still a few challenges to address. The most significant is Naughty Dog’s present schedule. The studio is already developing Intergalactic, making it difficult to imagine another major release arriving immediately afterward.

Looking at Naughty Dog's recent history makes the situation even more complicated. The studio has spent much of the last several years working through development changes, including the eventual cancellation of The Last of Us Online. Considering how long its recent projects have taken, expecting both Intergalactic and a new Uncharted to launch in the same year may be overly optimistic.

Still, there are reasons why some people believe the timeline could work. If development on a new Uncharted project truly began around 2021, the game could have been in production for roughly six years by the time the PlayStation 6 launches. That would place it within a fairly typical development cycle for a modern AAA release.

Of course, game development rarely moves in a straight line. Early production often involves experimentation before full development begins, meaning work may not have properly accelerated until much later. If that's the case, a launch closer to 2028 becomes much easier to imagine.

That timeline actually aligns more naturally with Naughty Dog's recent development pace. 

If Intergalactic releases first, a new Uncharted arriving the following year would provide both projects enough room to stand on their own. Instead of cramming two massive releases into the same launch window, Sony could space them out over consecutive years.

Many of the studio's recent delays also deserve consideration. The cancellation of The Last of Us Online undoubtedly shifted internal priorities, while changing development plans likely affected several projects across the company. Those kinds of changes often push release schedules further than originally expected.

The discussion eventually circles back to the same question: should Naughty Dog remake the original game or continue the story? Both choices offer something different. A remake appeals to nostalgia while modernizing a game that many believe has aged the most within the series.

Among the original four Nathan Drake adventures, most players generally view the first Uncharted as the installment that would benefit the most from a complete remake. Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 3 still hold up remarkably well, while Uncharted 4 remains one of the best-looking games available on PlayStation. 

That's hardly surprising considering how much the series evolved between its first two entries. Uncharted 2 made a clear advance in nearly every area, from storytelling to gameplay and presentation. Updating the original would allow it to stand much closer to the quality established by the later games.

At the same time, there is also something exciting about seeing the franchise continue instead of revisiting familiar territory. We already saw in Lost Legacy that Uncharted doesn’t necessarily need Nathan Drake to be the only lead character. He remains one of gaming’s most recognizable heroes, but the series has proved it can successfully expand beyond him.

A sequel led by Cassie could continue that evolution while still keeping Nathan involved in meaningful ways. 

Supporting appearances from Sam Drake, Sully, and other familiar faces would allow the series to retain its identity without repeating the exact same formula. That balance could make the franchise appealing to both longtime fans and new arrivals. It also allows for entirely new adventures and locations.

When you compare Uncharted to other big franchises in gaming, you can already see a clear pattern emerging in the industry. Halo is revisiting its original game through a remake while also reportedly developing future entries. Gears of War has repeatedly remastered earlier games before introducing entirely new installments.

Sony could easily follow a similar strategy. Instead of choosing between a remake and a sequel, the company could eventually deliver both. A remake of the original Uncharted could reintroduce the franchise before an entirely new entry arrives a few years later.

If only one project were to move forward first, however, a brand-new Uncharted 5 arguably offers the greater opportunity. Returning with an entirely new story would immediately signal that the franchise still has a long-term future. It would also give Naughty Dog a chance to begin a fresh era while honoring everything that came before.

The PlayStation 6 itself could become the ideal platform for that return. Every new PlayStation generation needs major first-party exclusives that showcase the hardware, and Uncharted has historically filled that role exceptionally well. Launching a new adventure alongside Sony's next console would instantly strengthen its lineup.

Before that happens, though, Sony will likely need a dedicated PlayStation 6 showcase. The company held multiple major presentations leading up to the PlayStation 5 launch, gradually revealing both the hardware and its first wave of games. A similar strategy would make sense for the next generation as well.

Such an event would provide the perfect stage to reveal several long-awaited projects. 

Studios that haven't shown new games in years, including Media Molecule, could finally reappear alongside other PlayStation teams. It would also give Sony the opportunity to showcase the future of its first-party lineup in a single presentation. A new Uncharted announcement would naturally become one of the event's biggest highlights.

The timing of that reveal may also depend on Intergalactic. Once Naughty Dog's new sci-fi project has received its final marketing push and is approaching release, attention can begin shifting toward whatever comes next. That would create a much cleaner transition between the studio's two biggest projects.

For now, everything surrounding Uncharted remains firmly in the rumor stage. Sony hasn't officially announced a remake, confirmed Uncharted 5, or revealed exactly what Naughty Dog's second team is developing. Still, continued reports on the series, the franchise’s upcoming anniversary, and the anticipated arrival of the PlayStation 6 all continue to make the series’ comeback seem more and more likely.