ENTERTAINMENTHBO Confirms 'The Last of Us' Season 3 Will Premiere in 2027
HBO confirmed 'The Last of Us' Season 3 will premiere in 2027.
July 22 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Fans of The Last of Us can finally mark their calendars for the highly anticipated third season of HBO's hit series.
As the credits rolled on Season 2, which concluded on May 25, co-creator Craig Mazin announced that the post-apocalyptic drama, featuring talents like Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced and, occasionally, Pedro Pascal, is set to return.
Bella Ramsey stars as Ellie in 'The Last of Us.'
In a follow-up interview with Variety, HBO content CEO Casey Bloys hinted that viewers may need to exercise a bit of patience for the show's return.
"The series is definitely planned for 2027," Bloys confirmed on July 15, elaborating on the future trajectory of the series adapted from the beloved video game franchise. "Craig 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."
Confirming its continued success, HBO renewed The Last of Us for a third season ahead of the eagerly awaited Season 2 premiere. This news dropped on April 9 and included a statement from Mazin: "We approached Season 2 with the goal of creating something we could be proud of."
HBO content CEO Casey Bloys confirmed 'The Last of Us' will return for Season 3.
However, the announcement about the show's return comes as co-creator Neil Druckmann confirmed he is stepping down from his role ahead of the new season.
In a statement shared through his video game company, Naughty Dog, on July 2, Druckmann wrote, "I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on Season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects."
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Co-creator Neil Druckmann confirmed he is stepping down ahead of 'The Last of Us' Season 3.
In Bloys' interview, the executive acknowledged Druckmann's significant contributions to the show, which received 16 Emmy nominations for the 2025 awards.
"It was fantastic to have Neil involved. A lot of people don't realize that Neil has a full time job creating video games and running Naughty Dog. It's a really big job that he's got. So I understand why he needs to focus on that," Bloys noted. "But I believe he's given us a good blueprint with the show. And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we'll be in excellent shape. I'm not worried at all."
Druckmann's exit surprised many fans, especially after revealing in April that he was excited to continue with the series. "To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans' enthusiastic and overwhelming support," he said in a statement.
He went on to commend his partnership with Mazin, HBO, and PlayStation Productions, appreciating the opportunity to deliver more of The Last of Us to viewers.
Pedro Pascal's character, Joel, was killed off in 'The Last of Us' Season 2.
As for the show moving forward without Pascal, who met his character's end in Season 2, Bloys remains optimistic.
"I think the title is obviously helped by the video game, and now the first two seasons is pretty well established. I kind of appreciate shows that take things and do a show from a different point of view," he said.
For those eager to catch up, Season 1 and 2 of The Last of Us are now streaming on HBO Max.
