HBO Confirms Future of ‘The Last of Us’: What About Season 3?

When can fans expect to see the end of “The Last of Us”?

In a recent interview, Casey Bloys, the content chair for HBO and HBO Max, revealed that the highly praised series is targeting a premiere for its third season in approximately two years. However, Bloys mentioned that it remains unclear if this will be the series’ final season.

“The series is definitely planned for 2027,” Bloys told Variety. “(Creator) Craig (Mazin) is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that.”

“The Last of Us” is based on the video game series of the same name, with its second season drawing from the 2020 game “The Last of Us Part II.” Due to the extensive and intricate narrative of the second game, only about half of the storyline from “Part II” was adapted for Season 2, which focused on Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) journey of vengeance against Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

Season 3 of “The Last of Us” will continue to adapt “The Last of Us Part II.” The plot is set to shift focus to Abby, who will become the main protagonist in the second half of the game, with Ramsey likely playing a supporting role.

When the HBO series finishes telling the story of “The Last of Us Part II,” it is projected to stop because there is no third game in the franchise to use as source material. Mazin also stated that two more seasons may be required to adapt the rest of the game.

“There’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season,” Mazin said in an interview with Collider published in May. “Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome.”

Ahead of Season 3, there was a major shift in the production team behind the series.

Neil Druckmann, the creative mind behind the “Last of Us” video games and co-creator of the HBO adaptation alongside Mazin, revealed on July 2 that he will no longer be involved in the show’s creative direction. He mentioned that he is stepping back to concentrate on his video game projects at Naughty Dog.

On the same day as Druckmann’s unexpected announcement, Halley Gross, who collaborated with Druckmann on writing “The Last of Us Part II,” also announced her departure from the HBO series. She had previously held the roles of executive producer and writer for the show.

In an interview with Variety, Bloys expressed that it was “fantastic to have Neil involved” in the HBO series, but he understands “why he needs to focus on” his video game endeavors.

“I believe he’s given us a good blueprint with the show,” Bloys added. “And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we’ll be in excellent shape. I’m not worried at all.”