It has been pretty clear that Naughty Dog’s Uncharted is seeing its final installment. Though fans were surprised to see “The Lost Legacy” come up at PSX last year, that the game so far does not feature Nathan Drake makes the promise that Uncharted 4 was the last we’d see of Drake one they seem to be sticking to. This final installment has yet to receive a release date, but details continue to emerge as the game develops.

While Lost Legacy may have caused doubt in fans as to whether or not they would continue the franchise, co-president Evan Wells reinforced the notion in an interview with Game Informer. Ultimately they have no grand plan for the franchise, and after a decade they seem ready to move on. Though not entirely out of the question, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted will likely not be seeing another installment after The Lost Legacy.

“I would say that Naughty Dog doing an Uncharted after this is unlikely. I would never say never, but we’ve got The Last of Us Part II on our plates and there’s so much other stuff that [we want to explore]. It’d be hard. If we magically had that two-team, three-team studio, sure–it’d be great to keep doing it. We really love the franchise, but the studio has limited resources and lots of other ideas. I’d say the likelihood is low.”

Debuting in 2007, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted would span over the next decade with 4 installments as of Uncharted 4‘s release last year. In total, the franchise has sold nearly 30 million copies of their games. This would lead some to believe that the franchise could continue to do well. With ownership resting under Sony, it is entirely possible that another studio could carry the torch.

A franchise finding a new home in another studio wouldn’t be groundbreaking as it has been done before with games of this magnitude in the past. Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann admitted in April of last year that he’d be happy to see Uncharted carry on with another studio if they could capture the “essence” of the series. With outside studios having already worked on The Nathan Drake Collection and a title for the PlayStation Vita, the notion isn’t that far fetched.

Naughty Dog’s commitment to putting Uncharted to rest in the pursuit of other titles may also hint at a new IP. If that truly is the case, Lost Legacy may be their way of laying the groundwork for another studio to pick up the series with more possibilities than just reviving Nathan Drake. With the franchise becoming anchored more within the content than the character, this could mark a new direction for the series. Then again, The Lost Legacy may be the final installment after-all. It is, as of yet, too soon to tell.

What do you think about Naughty Dog’s Uncharted being unlikely to move forward after Lost Legacy? Do you think another studio might pick it up? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below or start your own on our Disqus! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!