With Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Naughty Dog brought Nathan Drake's story to a satisfying conclusion. But just because Nathan Drake's story is over, it doesn't mean that the Uncharted franchise as a whole needs to come to an end. With the added horsepower and unique capabilities of the PlayStation 5, an Uncharted 5 seems to make more sense than ever before, and if one ever happens, it has an obvious choice for its main character. This article will have SPOILERS for the Uncharted video game franchise so far.
Uncharted 5 has not been confirmed by Naughty Dog or Sony at the time of this writing, but both companies clearly have interest in the franchise. After all, Naughty Dog recently expressed a desire to return to the Uncharted universe one day, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection just launched on PS5 with a PC release still to come, and Sony will be premiering the Uncharted film adaptation in theaters come February 18. With all the attention Uncharted is still getting five years after the last new game release, one would think that an Uncharted 5 is definitely in the cards.
If Uncharted 5 does happen, it will likely need to feature a new playable character. Naughty Dog concluded Nathan Drake's story with Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and so bringing him back for another game may cheapen that ending. Some have suggested that Nathan and Elena's daughter should be the next protagonist of the Uncharted series, but perhaps a more fitting choice would be Chloe Frazer instead.
Chloe Frazer first appeared in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and has had a major presence in the franchise ever since. Naughty Dog even had enough confidence in the Chloe Frazer character to give her the starring role in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a bite-sized standalone expansion for Uncharted 4 that sees Frazer team up with Nadine Ross and eventually even Nathan's brother Sam Drake.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is proof that Chloe has what it takes to carry an Uncharted game, and it would be great to see her given a larger stage. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy being bundled with Uncharted 4 in the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection may drum up even more interest to see Frazer return in a new game, and it would definintely be interesting to see where the story would take her next.
Featuring Chloe Frazer as the main character of the hypothetical Uncharted 5 would open the door for characters from past games to appear. The supporting cast in the Uncharted games have been just as important as the main hero, and since Frazer has connections to some popular characters from past Uncharted games, her being the protagonist of Uncharted 5 would give them the perfect excuse to return without it feeling shoehorned-in.
Characters like the aforementioned Nadine Ross and Sam Drake could prove to be the perfect supporting characters for Chloe Frazer, as that way Uncharted 5 could build on what was established in both The Lost Legacy and Uncharted 4. Not only that, but the inclusion of Sam Drake would ensure that there was a direct connection to Nathan Drake, which could help more Uncharted fans accept a potential change in the franchise's main character.
And maybe even Nathan Drake could make an appearance in a new Uncharted game. While Nathan Drake actor Nolan North hasn't heard anything about an Uncharted sequel, maybe Naughty Dog could bring him back for a quick appearance in the hypothetical Uncharted 5. With Nathan's treasure hunting days behind him, perhaps he catches wind of a new adventure and passes it along to his brother, who in turn reunites the team of himself, Nadine Ross, and Chloe Frazer as seen in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
It's also possible that Naughty Dog never bothers making another Uncharted game, as unlikely as that may seem. Naughty Dog's next project has not been announced at the time of this writing, but reports indicate that the studio is busy at work on a Last of Us remake for PlayStation 5 as well as the online multiplayer component for The Last of Us 2. Whether or not there's any truth to those claims remains to be seen, but fans should find out in the months ahead.
And if Naughty Dog doesn't make the next Uncharted game, maybe another studio will be given the reigns instead. Unverified reports have claimed that a new Uncharted game may be in development at Bend Studio, the developer that most recently put out the open world zombie game Days Gone. Bend Studio has worked on the Uncharted franchise in the past, developing the well-received PlayStation Vita spin-off Uncharted: Golden Abyss, so it would make sense for Sony to trust the studio with Uncharted.
The future of the Uncharted franchise remains uncertain, but in the meantime, fans can check out Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5 and watch the Uncharted movie with Tom Holland when it hits theaters on February 18.
Uncharted 5 has not been announced at the time of this writing.