Uncharted

Uncharted is Naughty Dog’s action-adventure franchise published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, following treasure hunter Nathan Drake through globe-spanning adventures involving historical mysteries, exotic locations, and the gap between romanticized adventure and its actual human cost. Created by Amy Hennig and launched November 19, 2007, the series ran four mainline entries and a standalone spinoff through 2017, with a theatrical film adaptation starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg releasing in February 2022. Naughty Dog has stated it has concluded its work with the franchise, though Sony has indicated interest in the property’s future through other means.

The Nathan Drake Trilogy

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune released November 19, 2007, for PlayStation 3, establishing Nathan Drake, a self-described descendant of Francis Drake, as a charming, quipping treasure hunter whose actual competence frequently fails to match his confidence. The game’s action-adventure structure combined third-person shooting with platforming and light puzzle-solving across a visual fidelity that demonstrated what the PlayStation 3 could achieve. Nolan North voiced Drake across the series in a performance that became central to the franchise’s identity.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in October 2009 is widely considered the series’ peak, a game that opened with Drake hanging from a train car dangling off a cliff, set the full adventure across Nepal and Tibet, and introduced Chloe Frazer and Tenzin alongside one of the best ensemble casts in action game history. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception in November 2011 followed with a personal story built around Drake’s relationship with mentor Victor Sullivan, involving T.E. Lawrence, the Empty Quarter of the Arabian desert, and a conspiracy reaching back to Drake’s childhood.

Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End released May 10, 2016, for PlayStation 4 as the explicitly final Nathan Drake story, directed by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley following Amy Hennig’s departure from the project during development. The game introduced Sam Drake, Nathan’s previously unmentioned older brother, and traced the last adventure of a retired Drake pulled back into the world by his brother’s situation. Uncharted 4 is the best-selling entry in the series and one of the PlayStation 4’s best-selling games. The game turned ten years old on May 10, 2026. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in August 2017 was a standalone spinoff developed from planned Uncharted 4 DLC, following Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross in India without Drake. Both games were remastered in the Legacy of Thieves Collection for PlayStation 5 and Windows in January 2022.

The Uncharted Film (2022)

Uncharted, directed by Ruben Fleischer, released February 18, 2022, starring Tom Holland as a younger Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan, with Sophia Ali as Chloe Frazer, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas. The film told an original story set before the games rather than adapting a specific entry, following Drake and Sullivan hunting a treasure linked to the Magellan expedition. The production had a famously complicated development history spanning years and multiple directors before Fleischer completed it. The film grossed $407.1 million worldwide on a $120 million budget, a result Sony considered sufficient to warrant a sequel that has not yet been officially confirmed.

The Future of Uncharted

Neil Druckmann confirmed following Uncharted 4 that Naughty Dog was done with the franchise, with the studio focusing its resources on The Last of Us. Naughty Dog’s next original game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is expected no earlier than 2027. Sony has suggested through recruiter communications that the franchise has a future outside Naughty Dog, and the film’s performance supports continued commercial interest in the property. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, developed by Bend Studio for PlayStation Vita in 2011, established a precedent for another Sony studio developing in the franchise.