These days, PlayStation 5 users have been looking forward to the release of several highly anticipated first-party titles such as God of War: Ragnarok, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Horizon Forbidden West, and Gran Turismo 7. However, an unannounced project by one popular studio seems to have secured the spotlight as of late.
Developer of Uncharted and The Last of Us, Naughty Dog, is apparently working on a brand-new project right now. While this new game has yet to be announced, the studio’s Senior Concept Artist, Hyoung Nam, recently posted a set of concept art that could hint at the kind of PS5 game fans can look forward to.
Many would assume that Naughty Dog’s next title would be tied to either Uncharted or The Last of Us. However, this may not be the case, as there’s a chance that the studio is actually working on a fantasy game. In Hyoung Nam’s recent post on his ArtStation account, he shares three different pieces of concept art featuring women who look like they’re within a fantasy setting.
To further cement this rumor, Hyoung Nam’s caption of the post reads: “Inspire from new game. You know what I’m talking about…”
The first art piece showcases a woman with a sword sitting beside a defeat dragon or lizard—basically some kind of reptilian creature. It’s safe to assume that she’s the one who defeated it.
The second piece is a sepia portrait of another woman who may or may not fit into the fantasy genre, depending on your perspective. Specifically, this second woman looks more like an NPC from one of the tribes in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Last but not least, the third image is of a woman wearing a headpiece that looks like a goat’s skull while holding a staff embellished with a human skull. Without a doubt, she could easily pass as a character from Dungeons & Dragons.
It’s clear to see that these three characters are completely different from the previous games released by Naughty Dog. However, it’s worth noting that we can’t be so sure that these three women are directly related to the new project that the developer is currently working on.
For one thing, there’s just something off about Hyoung Nam’s description of the post and the fact that he uploaded these images in the first place. Naughty Dog hasn’t made any official announcements just yet about any upcoming projects, so it wouldn’t make sense for the studio’s Senior Concept Artist to discreetly reveal a major game on their ArtStation account.
If we analyze the way he structured his sentence, the artist says that the concept art were inspired by “a” new game. As such, it’s also possible that he’s not necessarily talking about a new game by Naughty Dog. Perhaps Hyoung Nam just wanted to create fan art of other fantasy titles like Horizon Forbidden West or maybe even Dragon Age 4.
For now, it’s best to take this rumor with a pinch of salt. While it would definitely be interesting if Naughty Dog is currently working on a fantasy IP, we still need further evidence to verify these rumors.
