The Last of Us season 3 will 'definitely' arrive in 2027, HBO boss says – and it might be the HBO Max show's final entry after all

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Is it the end of the line for The Last of Us?

Ellie and Dina standing and looking shocked in The Last of Us season 2 episode 4
(Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)
  • HBO Max boss has said The Last Of Us season 3 might be the show's end
  • This news comes after co-creator Neil Druckmann stepped down to focus on other projects
  • The second season proved divisive among fans and critics based on each season's Rotten Tomatoes score

The Last of Us season 3 is set to arrive in 2027, so fans will have to wait a little while to see new episodes on HBO Max.

Season 3 will move forward with showrunner Craig Mazin. According to NME, HBO's Francesca Orci revealed that there had previously been conversations with Mazin that suggested the show could run anywhere between three and five seasons. But now, it seems there's a chance it could stop at season 3.

HBO boss Casey Bloys told Variety: "The series is definitely planned for 2027. 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."

So right now, The Last of Us' long term future at HBO is unconfirmed, but we do know that season 3 is arriving at some point in 2027.

The Last of Us' Neil Druckmann will not be back for season 3

Ellie and Joel look at someone off camera in The Last of Us episode 6

(Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

There's been some big changes to The Last of Us since the first season. Most notably the departure of lead actor Pedro Pascal as well as co-creator Neil Druckmann, who has stepped back to focus on other projects.

Druckmann is celebrated for his work on the original The Last of Us video games and helped to influence the adaptation. He previously spoke about The Last of Us show’s timeline change and seemed positive about it, calling it "worthwhile", so he's definitely helped to make the series the best it can be.

Speaking about Druckmann's departure, Bloys said to Variety: "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. 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."

The Last of Us season 2 has a much lower audience score on Rotten Tomatoes than the first season, scoring 37% vs season 1's 86%, so it will be interesting to see if a continuation of the series beyond the games will land well with fans.

Personally, I'd be okay if The Last of Us ended with season 3 because sometimes less is more.

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Lucy Buglass
Lucy Buglass
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd. 

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