If you thought The Last of Us Season 2 was emotional, you’re not ready for what’s next. HBO has officially renewed the hit series for Season 3 ahead of its Season 2 premiere. Yes, BEFORE a single new episode aired!
As Deadline confirmed on April 9, 2025, the decision echoes HBO’s trust in Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who have made this adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game a genre-defining masterwork. But don’t get too excited just yet. While the green light is here, we may not actually see Season 3 until 2027.
The wait, as always with The Last of Us, is brutal.
With Pedro Pascal’s Joel making his heartbreaking exit early in Season 2, the road ahead shifts dramatically. Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby will now carry the weight. Co-creator Druckmann called the fan response “overwhelming,” adding, “We’re thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us.”
And we’re thrilled… but also very, very nervous.
Season 3 Will be Abby and Ellie’s showdown
The third season is expected to continue adapting The Last of Us Part II, which, as fans know, is a narrative beast. The game’s nonlinear format allows the show to pan out a complex, dual storyline between Ellie and Abby.
That means we’re likely heading to the California arc, where Ellie’s revenge path hits its emotional peak. At the same time, Abby’s journey (redemption, resistance, and survival) gets the screen time it deserves.
While Druckmann and Mazin haven’t confirmed whether they’ll split the remaining game story into one or two more seasons, Deadline suggests a fourth season is still possible, depending on pacing and fan response.
Francesca Orsi, HBO’s Head of Drama, praised the team’s “masterful follow-up” with Season 2. “We’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”
Production May Take Long…
If you’re hoping for a quick release, temper those expectations, really. Thanks to the 2023 Hollywood strikes and the complexities of big-budget post-apocalyptic TV, The Last of Us Season 2 took more than 18 months to arrive.
While there’s optimism that the show can avoid another massive gap, 2026 might be too ambitious. A 2027 release is the more realistic bet, meaning fans will need to cling to replays, theories, and behind-the-scenes teases until then. But if there’s one thing this fandom knows, it’s how to wait. And theorize. And cry over guitar riffs in empty houses.
With Ramsey confirmed to return and Dever finally stepping into Abby’s full arc, there’s no question the next season will be devastating. And potentially divisive. *SPOILER* In The Last of Us: Part II you spend a considerable amount of time playing as Abby, sometimes even fighting Ellie as Abby. That last part disturbed players of the game, who stopped playing in protest. But on the other hand, it made people more sympathetic to Abby, her journey, and the pain she endured when she was herself captured. *END OF SPOILER*
But if Mazin and Druckmann have taught us anything, it’s that they know how to honor the soul of the game while surprising us at every turn.
The Last of Us Season 2 is available on HBO Max.
