Benson Russell, a game designer on the first three Uncharted titles and The Last of Us, has come out against the idea of a Drake’s Fortune remake. His argument is simple. The original still plays fine, it never really left the conversation, and rebuilding it would only bend the game out of shape. What he actually wants is a brand-new Uncharted set earlier in Nathan Drake’s life.
Quick answer: Russell says remaking or remastering Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune “doesn’t make any sense,” and that Naughty Dog should make a new game in an earlier time era rather than recreate the 2007 title.
What Benson Russell said about an Uncharted remake
Russell spent close to a decade at Naughty Dog, working as a designer on Uncharted 1-3 and The Last of Us. Asked on the FRVR podcast whether he wanted to see Drake’s Fortune remade, he said no. The game, in his view, has never dropped out of the zeitgeist, and there is already a version you can play on current consoles.
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?
He drew a line between Uncharted and older games that genuinely benefit from being rebuilt. System Shock, he pointed out, was worth remaking because its awkward key bindings kept people from playing it in the first place. Uncharted has the opposite problem, in that nothing is stopping you from booting it up right now.
Why a Drake’s Fortune remake would change the game’s spirit
The bigger concern for Russell is not the visuals but the writing. Rebuilding Drake’s Fortune in the slower, more emotional style of modern Naughty Dog would mean reworking the story itself. New scenes would have to go in, existing beats would have to come out, and the game’s original tone would shift in the process.
You’re going to have to add all these scenes or take things away and a lot of the key set pieces – are you going to keep those? Are you going to have to redo them because they don’t fit your story?
He said the same logic applies to The Last of Us Part 1, the 2022 remake of the 2013 original. In his words, “these are old games for a reason.” Reworking a game to hit a different emotional register, he argued, ends up sacrificing what made the first version work.
The Uncharted prequel Russell wants instead
Rather than polish an old game, Russell wants the series’ spirit carried somewhere new. His pitch is a prequel that explores Nathan Drake’s journey before the events of the first game, keeping the tone and energy of classic Uncharted while telling a fresh story.
Take the spirit and make a new game in an earlier time era and go back to what it was. Just don’t recreate the first game. It’s just, eh.
He framed it as a matter of applying what the studio already learned. Naughty Dog should “take the lessons of Uncharted 4 and make a new game that’s in the past or wherever you need it to be,” building something original instead of reshaping a classic that still functions.
How to play the original Uncharted games right now
Russell’s whole case rests on the fact that the series is already accessible. The original trilogy has been remastered, and Uncharted 4 plus The Lost Legacy got their own modern collection. Both run on PS5.
| Release | Details |
|---|---|
| Original trilogy | Launched on PS3 between 2007 and 2009 |
| The Nathan Drake Collection | Remastered Uncharted 1-3 for PS4 in 2015, runs on PS5 |
| Legacy of Thieves Collection | Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, released in 2022 |
The Nathan Drake Collection remains available on the PlayStation Store, and it is the version Russell points to when he says the experience is already there. A Drake’s Fortune remake has been rumored before, with reports that the project was shelved so the studio could remake The Last of Us instead — the very remake he now calls pointless.
Where Naughty Dog goes next
For now, none of this is on Naughty Dog’s public roadmap. The studio’s next game is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, rumored for a 2027 release, and there is no announced Uncharted prequel in development. Fans have read recent studio activity as a possible hint at a new Uncharted, but nothing has been confirmed.
The takeaway from Russell is consistent throughout. A prequel that channels the feel of Uncharted 4 while heading into Drake’s past would give players something genuinely new, whereas a Drake’s Fortune remake would spend time and resources on a game that already works.
