Uncharted
Uncharted is a Sony-published action-adventure video game and entertainment franchise developed primarily by Naughty Dog.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Uncharted is an action-adventure video game franchise published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed primarily by Naughty Dog. Created by Amy Hennig, the series follows treasure hunters who travel through historically inspired locations while investigating lost civilizations, disputed artifacts, legends, and archaeological mysteries. Its stories combine historical fiction, folklore, fantasy elements, globe-spanning travel, criminal competition, and cinematic set pieces. Nathan Drake is the principal playable character in the numbered games, while Chloe Frazer becomes the lead character in the standalone expansion The Lost Legacy. The franchise began with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for PlayStation 3 in 2007. It established the series' characteristic blend of third-person shooting, platforming, environmental exploration, puzzle solving, vehicle sequences, and character-driven humor. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves followed in 2009 and expanded the formula with broader locations, more elaborate traversal, improved combat, and competitive and cooperative multiplayer. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception arrived in 2011, extending the series' cinematic presentation and online features. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, released for PlayStation 4 in 2016, concluded Nathan Drake's central story while adding more developed stealth, driving, role-playing conversations, and multiplayer systems. The property also includes handheld games, a card-based spin-off, a mobile puzzle game, remastered collections, comics, a board game, a novel, and a live-action film. Uncharted: Golden Abyss was released for PlayStation Vita in 2011, while Uncharted: Fight for Fortune followed in 2012. Uncharted: Fortune Hunter was a mobile title associated with Uncharted 4. The Lost Legacy, released in 2017, shifted the focus to Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. The Nathan Drake Collection brought the first three main games to PlayStation 4, and the Legacy of Thieves Collection remastered Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy for PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2022. Uncharted is positioned as a premium, story-led action-adventure property with strong cinematic and Hollywood-adventure influences. Its design emphasizes exotic settings, carefully staged action, expressive characters, accessible controls, and a balance between linear narrative progression and optional exploration. The franchise is also known for its high production values, voice performances, visual detail, and use of real historical places and traditions as inspiration. Critics have frequently praised its writing, characters, voice acting, graphics, set pieces, and gameplay, particularly in the second and fourth numbered installments. The series helped strengthen Naughty Dog's reputation and contributed to the profile of PlayStation during the seventh and eighth console generations. The games had sold more than 41 million units according to the referenced franchise material.
History
Uncharted originated as a PlayStation action-adventure project developed by Naughty Dog and created by Amy Hennig. The first title, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, was released for PlayStation 3 in November 2007. It introduced Nathan Drake, Elena Fisher, and Victor Sullivan and established the franchise's formula of treasure hunting, historical investigation, gun combat, platforming, puzzles, and cinematic storytelling. Drake's Fortune drew on the traditions of pulp adventure fiction and action cinema while giving its protagonist a conversational, humorous personality. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves followed in 2009. Improvements to Naughty Dog's proprietary technology enabled more ambitious environments, broader traversal, more flexible combat, and a greater variety of locations. The game moved between areas including Istanbul, Nepal, Borneo, and the Tibetan Plateau. It also introduced competitive and cooperative multiplayer, extending the property beyond its single-player campaign. The title received substantial critical acclaim and became one of the most highly regarded action-adventure games of its period. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception launched in 2011. Its story explored Drake's relationship with Sullivan and moved through locations such as London, Colombia, France, Syria, Yemen, and the Rub' al Khali desert. It refined the established gameplay structure and expanded online multiplayer. That same year, Uncharted: Golden Abyss brought the franchise to PlayStation Vita as a prequel or separate original story, depending on the interpretation of its developers. Uncharted: Fight for Fortune, a turn-based card game for Vita, followed in 2012. The franchise continued to expand through ancillary media. Drake's Trail was a browser-based alternate-reality experience released in 2007 and later discontinued. Uncharted: Eye of Indra was a four-part motion comic released in 2009 as a prequel to Drake's Fortune. Bandai published Uncharted: The Board Game in 2012. The property also received a novel and later a live-action film adaptation. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was released for PlayStation 4 in 2016. Presented as the final main-series adventure centered on Nathan Drake, it placed greater emphasis on environmental detail, realism, stealth, driving, optional conversations, and exploration. Uncharted: Fortune Hunter, a free-to-play mobile puzzle game for iOS and Android, was also associated with the release period. The Nathan Drake Collection, remastering the first three main games, arrived on PlayStation 4 in 2015 and was later distributed through Sony's Play at Home initiative in 2020. The Lost Legacy was released in 2017 as a standalone expansion. It replaced Drake with Chloe Frazer as the principal playable character and featured Nadine Ross as her partner. Its story was set largely in and around the Western Ghats of India and demonstrated that the franchise could support new protagonists without abandoning its core structure. In 2022, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection remastered A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy for PlayStation 5, followed by a Windows release developed with Iron Galaxy. Across the series, Naughty Dog used research trips, photography, video, architectural study, and location consultation to shape its environments. Gameplay generally combines third-person shooting with climbing, jumping, swimming, ledge traversal, rope swinging, puzzles, stealth, driving, and optional collectible hunting. Although the campaigns usually follow a linear narrative route, later entries provide more room for exploration and contextual dialogue. The franchise has sold more than 41 million units according to the supplied reference material and is widely associated with PlayStation's premium single-player strategy and Naughty Dog's reputation for technically ambitious narrative games.
- 2022
Legacy of Thieves Collection released
[1]Remastered versions of A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy launched for PlayStation 5 and Windows.
- 2017
The Lost Legacy released
[1]Chloe Frazer became the lead character in a standalone expansion.
- 2016
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End released
[1]The fourth numbered installment concluded Nathan Drake's principal game storyline.
- 2015
The Nathan Drake Collection released
[1]The first three main games were remastered for PlayStation 4.
- 2011
Uncharted 3 and Golden Abyss released
[1]The third main game launched alongside the franchise's first PlayStation Vita installment.
- 2009
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves released
[1]The sequel expanded the locations and gameplay systems and introduced multiplayer.
- 2007
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune released
[1]The first game introduced Nathan Drake and the franchise's action-adventure formula on PlayStation 3.
Products and positioning
A premium, cinematic action-adventure franchise centered on treasure hunting, historical mysteries, globe-spanning exploration, character relationships, and blockbuster-style gameplay.
Console video game · 2007
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
The 2007 PlayStation 3 original follows Nathan Drake as he investigates a supposed connection to Sir Francis Drake and searches for treasure in Panama, the Amazon, and an island off South America. It established the series' third-person combat, traversal, puzzles, cinematic pacing, and core cast.
Console video game · 2009
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The 2009 sequel sends Drake across Istanbul, Nepal, Borneo, and the Tibetan Plateau while pursuing the secrets of Shambhala. It expanded environmental variety, climbing and combat, and introduced competitive and cooperative multiplayer.
Console video game · 2011
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Released in 2011, the third main game examines Drake's history with Victor Sullivan while moving through Europe, the Middle East, Colombia, and the Arabian desert. It further developed combat, set pieces, exploration, and online modes.
Console video game · 2016
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
The 2016 PlayStation 4 entry presents Nathan Drake's apparent final adventure, involving pirate history, Madagascar, Scotland, Italy, and the Indian Ocean. It adds more developed stealth, driving, optional conversations, environmental exploration, and multiplayer systems.
Console video game expansion · 2017
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
This 2017 standalone expansion follows Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross in the Western Ghats and surrounding regions of India. It preserves the series' exploration, shooting, puzzles, and traversal while using a new lead character and a more open-ended environment structure.
Handheld video game · 2011
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
A PlayStation Vita title released in 2011, Golden Abyss is set largely in Panama and functions as a prequel or separate original story. It adapts the franchise's shooting, climbing, puzzle solving, and treasure-hunting structure to handheld hardware.
Digital card game · 2012
Uncharted: Fight for Fortune
A turn-based card game released for PlayStation Vita in 2012. It used characters and settings from the franchise in a format designed around tactical card play and interactive digital elements.
Mobile puzzle game · 2016
Uncharted: Fortune Hunter
A free-to-play mobile spin-off released for iOS and Android in connection with Uncharted 4. It translated the franchise's archaeological and treasure-hunting themes into compact puzzle stages.
Remastered collection · 2015
The Nathan Drake Collection
This PlayStation 4 collection remastered Drake's Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake's Deception. It added technical improvements, enhanced textures, new trophies, and Photo Mode, while excluding the original games' multiplayer modes.
Remastered collection · 2022
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
The collection remasters A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy. It was released for PlayStation 5 in 2022 and later for Windows, providing updated versions of the two modern entries.
Brand decisions
2022
Cross-generation remaster releaseGeneration changeBackground
Sony continued to make the two most recent Uncharted games available beyond their original PlayStation 4 releases.
Action taken
Legacy of Thieves Collection was released for PlayStation 5 and subsequently for Windows.
Aftermath
The remaster broadened access to the modern games and updated them for newer hardware.
2017
Expanding beyond Nathan DrakeStrategyBackground
The series had been strongly identified with Nathan Drake, but its supporting cast offered opportunities for additional stories.
Action taken
The Lost Legacy made Chloe Frazer the playable lead and paired her with Nadine Ross.
Aftermath
The franchise demonstrated a route to continuing its setting and gameplay without centering every installment on Drake.
2015
Remastering the original trilogyGeneration changeBackground
Production delays affected the planned timing of A Thief's End, creating an opportunity to repackage the earlier games for PlayStation 4.
Action taken
Sony released The Nathan Drake Collection with visual and technical enhancements and a multiplayer beta voucher for A Thief's End.
Aftermath
The collection extended the earlier trilogy's availability on the newer console generation.
2007
Initial PlayStation exclusivityStrategyBackground
The franchise was created as a PlayStation action-adventure property and its early main entries were developed for Sony consoles.
Action taken
Naughty Dog released the early series primarily on PlayStation platforms under Sony Interactive Entertainment's publishing structure.
Aftermath
The property became closely associated with PlayStation before later remasters and spin-offs reached additional platforms.
Recent events
- 2022
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection reaches PlayStation 5 and Windows[1]
Product launch · Product generation
A remastered package containing A Thief's End and The Lost Legacy launched for PlayStation 5 and later for Windows.
- 2017
The Lost Legacy shifts the focus to Chloe Frazer[1]
Product launch
The standalone expansion made Chloe Frazer the playable lead and paired her with Nadine Ross in an Indian setting.
- 2016
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End concludes Nathan Drake's main arc[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The PlayStation 4 installment added expanded driving, stealth, exploration, dialogue, and multiplayer features and became a major commercial success.
- 2011
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception released[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The third main installment developed the franchise's cinematic presentation, gameplay variety, and online multiplayer.
- 2009
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves expands the series[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The sequel broadened the series' locations and gameplay systems and introduced competitive and cooperative multiplayer.
- 2007
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune launches on PlayStation 3[1]
Product launch
The first Uncharted game introduced Nathan Drake and the franchise's combination of shooting, traversal, puzzles, exploration, and cinematic storytelling.
Sources2 sources
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