Though Uncharted 4: A Thief's End release date is set for spring 2016, gamers may expect to see some gameplay demos in the months to follow. This is due to recent developments at Naughty Dog, the studio behind the Uncharted franchise.

Days ago, Oscar-nominated producer Megan Ellison tweeted about playing the upcoming video game title at Naughty Dog's facility.

"Just left @Naughty_Dog where I got to play a little UNCHARTED 4. Gorgeous gameplay. Epic worlds. I cannot wait for full immersion next year," she wrote. It is not clear why the producer of American Hustle and Zero Dark Thirty was visiting Naughty Dog.

In early March, Naughty Dog Creative Director Neil Druckmann announced that the Uncharted 4 release date had been postponed for next year.

"It's become clear to use that this game is much more ambitious than we originally envisioned," Druckmann wrote. After spending so many years with Nathan Drake, he means a lot to the team, and telling the climactic chapter of his adventures is a task we don't take lightly."

Druckmann also added that Uncharted 4 will be the final chapter in the Nathan Drake saga. Previously, Uncharted 3 was intended to be the last game in an epic trilogy. Instead, Uncharted's publisher Sony surprised loyal fans with a debut trailer at E3 in 2014.

This is not the first time a videogame title has gone beyond a trilogy. Bungie's Halo 3 was originally intended to end the Master Chief Story arc. The iconic hero eventually resurfaced in Halo 4, and will appear in the upcoming Halo 5 videogame.

At this time, Sony has yet to confirm the official Uncharted 4 launch date. This has not stopped GameStop Italy from prematurely stating the release date as April 22. Even so, gamers may need to be wary about drawing conclusions until Sony makes a formal announcement.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End follows Nathan Drake's forced return from retirement. This time the stakes have become more personal as the globe-trotting hero confronts yet another historical conspiracy. Based on what was revealed in last year's gameplay demo, players will expect to see significantly improved graphics and enhanced mechanics.

New characters will include Nathan's younger brother Sam Drake, who is played by voice actor Troy Baker. The veteran actor has provided the voice behind iconic videogame characters including Booker DeWitt in Bioshock Infinite, Joel in The Last of Us, and Pagan Min in Far Cry 4.