Just in case you weren't suffering enough on the back of another release delay for Uncharted 4, creative director Neil Druckmann has teased even more bad news. Namely, a very final event involving his initials-sharing protagonist.

Speaking to The Sun about the strong rumour that A Thief's End will be the final game in the series, Druckmann says: “Sony owns Uncharted and they can do whatever they want. But at the end of this story, it will be really hard to do a sequel with Nathan Drake.”

The obvious, troubling suggestion is that Nate Dogg is going to be killed off. Other possibilities: Drake forswearing his klepto past to become a monk. (He did like Tibet quite a lot, after all.) Or maybe he and Elena have remarried and settled down with a kid or two (Sully Jr? Elthan? Nelly would be our choice.) Thing is, neither of those events are truly final, and Druckmann's statement sounds pretty conclusive. It's a troubling sign.

This isn’t the first time Naughty Dog has teased Drake's demise. Back in 2011, then-president Evan Wells told OPM ahead of Uncharted 3's release that no single character, even the game's lead, was sacrosanct. “We're not dogmatic about anything,” he said. "If that is what it takes then that's what it takes. And not just for dramatic shock value – it would definitely have to tie into the narrative we're trying to tell.”

Before anyone panics, it’s worth noting that Druckmann has history for deliberately deceiving gamers ahead of a major release: he openly admitted to utilising a sly trick or two to pique interest in The Last Of Us. Hopefully, then, this is simply a case of Naughty Dog being mischievous mutts, and Nath will go on to live happily ever after. Drakerella, if you will.

Barring any further setbacks, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is out at the end of April.