The Last of Us 2 has broken Game of the Year award records and remains one of the most-talked about games in the industry. The Last of Us 2's narrative has largely been the focus of discussions surrounding the game, with fans dissecting some of the more emotionally powerful moments and predicting what's next for the franchise after its depressing ending. While it remains to be seen what's next for The Last of Us franchise, a cut scene from the ending could provide some clues.

WARNING: This post will have MAJOR SPOILERS for The Last of Us 2.

The Last of Us 2 ending sees Ellie return to the farmhouse that she shared with Dina prior to deciding to head to California in search of Abby. Unfortunately for Ellie, it seems as though Dina has abandoned the house, leaving Ellie's belongings behind. The Last of Us 2 then ends with Ellie trying to play the guitar Joel gifted her, but she is unable to due to injuries she sustained while on her quest for revenge. Things are then left ambiguous as to what Ellie may be up to next.

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But according to The Last of Us 2 writer Halley Gross, the ending was once slightly different and a little happier. Speaking on the Script Apart podcast (as spotted by TechRadar), Gross revealed that a previous version of The Last of Us 2 ending had a scene where Ellie found one of JJ's toys. JJ, for those who may not recall, is Dina's baby in The Last of Us 2, who Ellie seemingly adopted as her own as well.

the last of us 2 game of the year awards

According to Gross, Ellie grabbed the toy, put it in her backpack, and then left the farmhouse. This suggests that Ellie was going to go find Dina and JJ after the events of The Last of Us 2, which is a bit more optimistic of an ending than the one that made it to the game itself. However, this could still be an indication of where The Last of Us 3 story is headed, as the logical thing does seem to be for Ellie to seek out Dina and try to mend their relationship.

The Last of Us 3 story outline is reportedly already written, though reports indicate that Naughty Dog hasn't actually started development on the game. If leaks are to be believed, Naughty Dog is currently working on The Last of Us remake as well as The Last of Us 2 multiplayer component. It's possible that The Last of Us 3 will be the next project that Naughty Dog tackles after getting those two complete, but that's just speculation at this time.

The Last of Us 2 is out now, exclusively for PS4.

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Source: Script Apart (via TechRadar)