Uncharted 5 reportedly in the works: what we actually know
A new report says Naughty Dog is making Uncharted 5 with Lost Legacy director Shaun Escayg. What's claimed, what's verified, and who might lead it.
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Uncharted 5 is in development at Naughty Dog, according to a report that MP1st published on September 30, 2026, citing sources familiar with the situation. A day later, VGC said its own sources can partially corroborate it. Both outlets say Shaun Escayg, who directed Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, is leading the project and that it comes after Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Neither Naughty Dog nor Sony has said a word. Here's what each report claims, what we could verify, and what is still a guess.
Key takeaways
- MP1st reports an all-new Uncharted game, not a remake, directed by Shaun Escayg, as Naughty Dog's next release after Intergalactic, with The Last of Us Part III after that.
- The reports disagree on who leads it. MP1st says Nathan Drake appears "in some form" but can't say whether he's the protagonist. VGC frames it as a game that could star Drake and his daughter.
- Verified: Escayg co-directed The Lost Legacy (2017) and rejoined Naughty Dog in 2021. The last numbered game, Uncharted 4, came out in May 2016.
- Intergalactic, the game this would follow, has no release date. Naughty Dog says it gets a full reveal in 2027.
- Not confirmed by Naughty Dog or Sony as of Oct 1, 2026.
What the Uncharted 5 rumor claims
Everything in this section comes from anonymous sources, as reported. MP1st's story, by Alex Co, makes four claims:
- It's a new game. MP1st says it's an all-new Uncharted, "not a remake of any kind".
- Escayg is directing. MP1st says Shaun Escayg, the creative director of Marvel's Avengers and director of The Lost Legacy, leads it.
- It's next in line. MP1st says it's the next game Naughty Dog will work on and release after Intergalactic, with The Last of Us Part III after it.
- Drake is in it, somehow. MP1st says Nathan Drake appears "in some form", as protagonist, side character or cameo, and that it can't pin that down.
MP1st adds its own caveat: with Naughty Dog focused on Intergalactic, don't expect an announcement anytime soon, and planned projects change. It doesn't say whether it asked Sony or Naughty Dog for comment.
VGC's headline calls the game Uncharted 5, and its story, by editor in chief Andy Robinson, says the next game in the series will reportedly follow Intergalactic. VGC says it can partially corroborate MP1st's report with its own sources.
Nathan Drake or Cassie: who leads it
The biggest gap is the lead character, and it's easy to blur in the retelling.
| Claim | MP1st | VGC and others |
|---|---|---|
| A new Uncharted is in development | Yes, per its sources | VGC: partially corroborated by its own sources |
| Shaun Escayg directs | Yes | Repeated in coverage of both reports |
| Comes after Intergalactic | Yes, then The Last of Us Part III | VGC: "reportedly" follows Intergalactic |
| Nathan Drake's role | "In some form"; protagonist or cameo unknown | VGC: could star Drake and his daughter |
| Drake's daughter leads | MP1st's own guess, not its sources | Push Square's headline: Drake is "not the lead character" |
The daughter idea in MP1st's piece is the writer's own reasoning, not a sourced claim. MP1st says Uncharted 4 ended with Drake older and a parent, so it would be an easy assumption that his daughter takes over. MP1st doesn't name her. In Uncharted 4's epilogue she is Cassie Drake, Nathan and Elena's teenage daughter, played by Kaitlyn Dever.
What is verified
These parts of the story check out against public records, independent of the rumor.
Escayg's track record. He was creative director of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which he co-directed with Kurt Margenau and co-wrote with Josh Scherr. Released on August 22, 2017, for PS4, it was the first Uncharted not led by Nathan Drake: you play Chloe Frazer, with Nadine Ross. Escayg then left for Crystal Dynamics to lead Marvel's Avengers and returned to Naughty Dog in April 2021, without saying what he'd work on.
The series' history. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End came out on May 10, 2016, on PS4, and closed Drake's story. Both games came to PS5 in the Legacy of Thieves Collection on January 28, 2022, and to Windows that October. No new Uncharted has been announced since.
What Naughty Dog said in 2023. Neil Druckmann, who now runs the studio, told BuzzFeed in January 2023 that Uncharted 4 let the team put a "final brushstroke on that story" and added: "We're moving on." He was talking about Drake's story. A new lead character wouldn't strictly contradict that, but that reading is ours; Naughty Dog hasn't addressed it.
Where Intergalactic stands. Naughty Dog announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at The Game Awards in December 2024. In a September 28, 2026 letter, Druckmann said the studio will be "quiet for the rest of this year" and will fully reveal the game in 2027. He gave no release date and didn't mention Uncharted. The same letter confirmed two early The Last of Us projects, which we covered with the The Last of Us season 3 cast news.
What is not confirmed
- That a new Uncharted exists at all. Naughty Dog and Sony haven't announced or acknowledged one.
- Escayg's role on it. His 2021 return is public; what he's directing isn't.
- Who leads it: Nathan Drake, Cassie Drake or someone else.
- Its place in Naughty Dog's lineup, its platform, its name and any release window.
What happens next
Don't expect an answer soon. If MP1st is right and the game follows Intergalactic, its reveal would logically come after Intergalactic's own full reveal in 2027, and Naughty Dog has said it'll stay quiet until then. That timeline is our inference from the studio's letter, not something Naughty Dog has said about Uncharted. For more PlayStation news, see our video games coverage.
Bottom line
Two outlets now say Naughty Dog is making a new Uncharted, with The Lost Legacy's Shaun Escayg in charge and Intergalactic ahead of it in the queue. The director's history and the studio's 2027 plans for Intergalactic are real. The game itself, and whether Nathan Drake or his daughter Cassie leads it, are not. Not confirmed by Naughty Dog or Sony as of Oct 1, 2026, so treat any Uncharted 5 release date you see as speculation.
FAQ
Is Uncharted 5 confirmed?
No. MP1st reported it on September 30, 2026, and VGC says its sources partially back it up, but neither Naughty Dog nor Sony has announced or commented on a new Uncharted.
Who is directing the new Uncharted game?
MP1st reports that Shaun Escayg is directing it. Escayg co-directed Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in 2017 and returned to Naughty Dog in 2021, but the studio hasn't said what he's working on.
Will Cassie Drake be the main character?
Nobody has confirmed that. MP1st says Nathan Drake appears in some form and suggests, as its own guess, that his daughter could take over. VGC frames it as a game that could star both Drake and his daughter.
When could Uncharted 5 come out?
No date or window has been reported. MP1st places it after Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which itself has no release date and gets a full reveal in 2027.