New Uncharted Game Reportedly in Development at Naughty Dog (Uncharted 5)

A new Uncharted game is reportedly in development at Naughty Dog, according to a report from MP1st published on September 30, 2026, which Video Games Chronicle says it can partially corroborate via its own sources. If true, it would be the first new mainline Uncharted entry in a decade.

What the Report Claims

The key details from the MP1st report:

• Naughty Dog is developing a brand-new Uncharted game — not a remake or remaster of an older title.
• The project is being directed by Shaun Escayag, who directed Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017) and returned to Naughty Dog in 2021 after a stint at Crystal Dynamics on Marvel’s Avengers.
• Nathan Drake will appear in some form, but he will reportedly NOT be the lead character.
• The game will be Naughty Dog’s next major project after Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which the studio plans to fully reveal in 2027.
• After the new Uncharted, the studio reportedly plans to move on to The Last of Us: Part 3.

Reliable industry leaker NateTheHate has also backed the report, confirming that Escayag is working on a new Uncharted title and not one of the studio’s The Last of Us projects.

Is Cassie Drake the New Protagonist?

With Nathan Drake reportedly stepping out of the lead role, speculation has immediately turned to his daughter, Cassie Drake. The ending of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End shows a teenage Cassie discovering relics from her parents’ adventures, with Drake deciding to tell her about them — a clear setup for a torch-passing story.

MP1st itself notes it cannot confirm whether Cassie is the protagonist, and Kotaku cautions the project is early enough in the concept phase that details could still change. But a Cassie-led Uncharted 5 remains the most popular theory among fans.

The Trinidad Tease

Adding fuel to the rumor, Escayag posted a photo of an old cannon at Fort George in Trinidad and Tobago on Instagram earlier this year — exactly the kind of location research an Uncharted game would need. MP1st described the photo as research for the game.

When Could the New Uncharted Game Release?

Don’t expect it anytime soon. All outlets agree the game is several years away. Kotaku suggests a release could fall in the first half of the PlayStation 6‘s lifecycle, which would put it well past Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s launch.

Naughty Dog’s Packed Roadmap

The Uncharted report lands amid a busy period for the PlayStation studio. Studio president Neil Druckmann confirmed on The Last of Us Day 2026 that two new The Last of Us projects are in the very early stages of development, alongside Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Adding a new Uncharted to that slate would make Naughty Dog one of the busiest first-party studios in PlayStation’s lineup.

What We Still Don’t Know

As with all rumors, treat this with caution: Sony and Naughty Dog have not officially confirmed the project. The protagonist, setting, gameplay details, and release window are all unconfirmed, and the game’s early concept phase means much could change before any official reveal.

That said, between MP1st’s track record, VGC’s partial corroboration, and NateTheHate’s backing, this is one of the more credible Uncharted 5 rumors in years. The franchise has been dormant since The Lost Legacy in 2017 (aside from 2022’s Legacy of Thieves Collection), and fans have been waiting a decade for Nathan Drake’s world to return.