The Original Uncharted Designer Would Rather See a Prequel Than a Remake

Benson Russell, one of the original designers of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, worked at Naughty Dog from 2007 to 2015 and does not think the studio needs to remake the first game. Instead, he would prefer the studio create a fresh adventure set earlier in the series’ timeline, giving Nathan Drake another story rather than rebuilding one many players already know.

Russell made the case in an interview with FRVR. The first three games are already available through the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, which means players on current consoles have an updated way to experience Drake’s Fortune without Naughty Dog starting from scratch.

“Uncharted as a thing is still in the zeitgeist. There’s already a version you can play on modern consoles [to] get the experience. What’s the point of remastering [or remaking] it?” Russell said. He also questioned what a remake would add, since improving the original’s story could require changing its scenes and writing, adding new material, removing other moments, and possibly rebuilding its major set pieces. Those changes could alter the game’s overall spirit rather than simply present it in a cleaner package.

Russell wants Naughty Dog to build on Uncharted 4

Rather than revisit the 2007 campaign, Russell suggested that Naughty Dog apply the lessons it learned from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End to a new game. That could mean another chapter in Nathan’s past, or a different story that still makes use of the series’ established characters and tone.

His criticism also echoes concerns he had about Naughty Dog’s remake of The Last of Us. In the same FRVR interview, Russell said, “These are old games for a reason.” He ultimately described a potential Drake’s Fortune remake as feeling “more like a cash grab than it would feel like anything necessary at this point.”

The discussion arrives as the series has picked up fresh fan attention. A cryptic Instagram post from Shaun Escayg, who directed Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, recently led to more conversation about a possible new entry, though no project connected to that post has been confirmed.

For now, Naughty Dog has not announced the new prequel Russell would like to see. The most recent released game in the series is 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, while Nathan Drake’s last mainline outing remains Uncharted 4. Fans still have the Nathan Drake Collection and the existing four mainline games, but a completely new mainline adventure would offer something the series has not provided since Uncharted 4.

Would you rather see Naughty Dog remake Drake’s Fortune or create a new prequel? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.