Major news, even if we all saw it coming: HBO's The Last of Us has officially been renewed for Season 3, less than a week before the premiere of Season 2 on Max.
"It can't be for nothing," Max revealed via its social media channels on April 9. "Season 3 is coming." A deep red flare is featured burning bright in the bottom corner of a video accompanying the ominous caption.
It can’t be for nothing. Season 3 is coming. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/q5HxyvK9O6
— Max (@StreamOnMax) April 9, 2025
The Last of Us premiered in January 2023 to widespread acclaim, often hailed as the best video game adaptation to date. Season 1 earned eight Emmy awards out of 24 nominations. The much-anticipated Season 2 will see Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal reprise their roles as Ellie and Joel, with Kaitlyn Dever joining the cast as Abby, a soldier driven by revenge after losing someone close to her. Season 2 also welcomes new cast members including Beef star Young Mazino, Alien: Romulus star Isabelle Merced, Captain America: Brave New World star Danny Ramirez, and legends Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Wright.
Recently, series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann shared their thoughts with IGN on the ongoing "Was Joel right?" debate, a central theme of the franchise since the game's 2013 release.
"I believe Joel was right," said Neil Druckmann, head of Naughty Dog. "If I were in Joel's position, I hope I would be able to do what he did to save my daughter." However, Craig Mazin, the showrunner of Chernobyl, had a different perspective. "That's so interesting, because I think that if I were in Joel's position, I probably would have done what he did," Mazin noted. "But I'd like to think that I wouldn't. That's the interesting push and pull of the morality of it. And that's why the ending of the first game is so provocative and so wonderful. It just doesn't let you off the hook as a player."
The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on Max on April 13, 2025. While a release date for Season 3 remains undisclosed, you can check out IGN's spoiler-free review of Season 2 for more insights.
