Rumors have been circulating since last April that a PS5 remake of "The Last of Us" is in development, and according to one industry source, the project is "almost complete and could be released in late 2022."

The tip came from Tom Henderson, much to the delight of the enthusiastic PlayStation community. Since Henderson is an industry insider with a fairly solid track record, it is likely that there is at least some truth to his information; other sources, including VGC, have independently verified Henderson's claims.

After Sony unveiled the new PlayStation Productions sizzle reel at the 2022 CES, inquisitive internet types were already warning that something related to "The Last of Us" might be in the works. The video features Joel and Ellie, the main characters from "The Last of Us," but their character models are slightly different. This led to speculation that these were models that had been reworked for the remake.

According to an April 2021 Bloomberg report, the Last of Us remake was originally developed at PlayStation's Visual Arts Services Group, but moved to Naughty Dog in mid-2020 after the production of The Last of Us Part 2 . The Santa Monica-based developer was involved in the production of "The Last of Us" in the first place and will be a safe bet for the remake.

The Last of Us was released on PS3 in 2013 and later ported to PS4 in 2014 as The Last of Us Remastered. However, this PS5 remake will likely be a more significant upgrade, perhaps keeping the core gameplay and story intact, but with significantly revamped visuals. It certainly seems likely that this project will become a reality, but since it has not yet been officially announced, take this rumor with a grain of salt.

According to another social post by Henderson, "The Last of Us Remake" is not the only project set in a post-apocalyptic franchise. The long-rumored "The Last of Us Part 2 Multiplayer" (aka "Factions 2") will be released at the same time as "The Last of Us Part 2: Director's Cut," but Henderson does not know exactly when these will be released.

Sony has released several Director's Cuts of its most popular PS4 exclusive titles, including "Ghost of Tsushima" and "Death Stranding". These PS5 native ports have added richer visual fidelity, improved performance, and new content. "The Last of Us Part 2" is already available on PS5 with a free performance upgrade, and if the Director's Cut is indeed offered, it is not unreasonable to assume that some form of single-player DLC will be included.

It's good timing for The Last of Us game software to be available in such large quantities; as Henderson points out, "The overall goal here is to drum up publicity for the HBO show."

The Last of Us HBO show will run through 2021. It is being filmed and will feature Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. We have yet to see footage, but expect that to change soon.

With so many "The Last of Us" projects underway, all of which look like they could be released in 2022, we fear that Sony may be giving us too much of a good thing. Of course, "The Last of Us" is one of the most popular series on PlayStation, so a new installment in this franchise will be enthusiastically received by gamers.