As The Last of Us Part 3 Hopes Rise, Former Naughty Dog Developer Says Neil Druckmann Planned for 'A Whole Congregation'

A major plot point that could play into The Last of Us: Part 3 has been revealed by a former Naughty Dog developer. Speaking via the podcast KiwiTalkz, ex-Naughty Dog lighting artist Gabriel Betancourt has discussed a surprising conversation he once had with franchise creator Neil Druckmann — who revealed that main character Ellie was just one of a "congregation" of people with immunity to the zombie-like cordyceps infection. Ellie's seemingly unique immunity plays a huge role in the first The Last of Us game, and particularly in its ending — where Joel is forced to choose between saving her or saving humanity. The impact of his decision then reverberates through The Last of Us Part 2, and is something Druckmann himself has added further context. Last year, Druckmann confirmed that a cure for humanity would definitely have been made, had Joel chosen differently — information that upended years of fan debate, and split the series' fanbase anew. Understandably, then, fans have reacted in surprise to this latest tidbit of information — which discusses Ellie being far less unique than she (or Joel) believed. "I felt like the pillar of the story was Ellie being the only person with the

Apr 20, 2026 → Apr 22, 2026