HBO Renews The Last of Us for Season 3

“WHEN you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light”— and HBO just lit the way forward. 

Joel and Ellie’s journey continues forward as The Last of Us has officially been renewed for a third season, as announced in advance of the season 2 premiere on April 13, 2025. 

The announcement isn’t entirely unexpected, given that the show’s creators have openly discussed the possibility of a third season for quite some time. 

In fact, they have consistently hinted that a third installment— likely serving as the series’ last chapter— would be necessary to fully bring the expansive story of The Last of Us to life. 

But no one yet knows if this season will really be the finale. 

While season 1 faithfully adapted the 2013 Sony PlayStation game, its sequel—2020’s The Last of Us Part II—is far more expansive. From the beginning, Mazin and Druckmann intended to split its complex narrative across multiple seasons. 

In a recent interview with Variety, Mazin revealed that the upcoming second season will span seven episodes and suggested the series may need “one or two more seasons” to bring Part II to a close.

Mazin admitted that production has become increasingly challenging, noting that “every episode gets big,” and added, “You don’t want to wait four years for a 17-episode finish, or whatever it is.”

Following the renewal announcement, Mazin also shared his excitement. 

“We approached Season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew.”

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama that began as a 2013 PlayStation game and was later adapted into an HBO series. It follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler, and Ellie (Bella Ramsay), a teenage girl immune to a deadly fungal infection, as they journey across a ravaged America.

The series achieved not just commercial success but also critical acclaim, winning eight Primetime Emmy Awards in 2024, including Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Nick Offerman’s portrayal of Bill, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Storm Reid as Riley, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series.