'Uncharted 5' latest news, release date & update: Naughty Dog planning another installment with new protagonist?

Despite having already given the long-running "Uncharted" video game series a definitive ending in "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," Naughty Dog is now rumored to be plotting an "Uncharted 5" with a new lead character and an all-new adventure.

Naughty Dog has repeatedly confirmed that "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," which was released in May, was the end of the entire series. "A Thief's End" capped off the story of series protagonist Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter traveling the world and uncovering various historical mysteries.

The fourth installment in the "Uncharted" series saw Drake, now retired, being forced back into the world of thievery when his long-lost brother resurfaced. The long-awaited title received much critical praise and has been a commercial success.

But perhaps it was the best-selling status of "Uncharted 4" that had Naughty Dog reconsidering the fate of the long-running franchise. According to recent reports, the video game developer is trying to come up with another installment that could be called "Uncharted 5."

NSEA Voice reports that the developer actually mentioned that it was idea hunting for the "Uncharted 5" plot. This was reportedly said in a Twitter post that has since been deleted.

Reports also indicate that the rumored sequel will introduce a new protagonist to replace Drake and that this new lead will set forth on a new adventure set within the same universe as the previous "Uncharted" installments.

GamesRadar notes that while "A Thief's End" was meant to conclude the series, "Uncharted 4" director Neil Druckmann seemed open to the prospect of more installments.

Earlier this year, the outlet spoke to Druckmann about the possibility of "Uncharted" being picked up by a different studio.

"If they made a great game I'd be excited," he said. "I'd want to play an 'Uncharted' I didn't work on. It'd be a lot of fun," he continued.

"Obviously we would have a big part in it as the creators of the franchise," Druckmann added. "We'd just want to make sure they get the essence of it right," he said. 

While rumor has it that Naughty Dog is already sketching the framework for "Uncharted 5," the video game developer has not officially announced that it is working on another "Uncharted" sequel.