The Last of Us could end with Season 3, HBO now says

HBO is now hinting that The Last of Us could wrap up with Season 3. Casey Bloys, HBO’s chairman and CEO, has said twice that Craig Mazin mapped out a third season as the end of the series.

That clashes with Mazin’s earlier “no way” comment about squeezing The Last of Us Part II into only three seasons, so either the plan has changed or things still aren’t fully settled. HBO still hasn’t announced an official end date.

If Season 3 is the finale, whatever is left of The Last of Us Part II would have to be condensed into one last chapter. That probably means a much heavier focus on Abby, especially since Season 2 already split Ellie and Abby more clearly than the game’s alternating structure did. The back half would likely feel more compartmentalized, with a different tone and point of view.

If you’ve been following the series, there are a few reasons that possibility stands out. HBO may be looking at Season 2’s more divided reception after all the praise Season 1 got, along with reports that the show costs more than Game of Thrones did in its early seasons. On top of that, Neil Druckmann is stepping back to work on new Naughty Dog projects, and Craig Mazin is also developing HBO’s Baldur’s Gate 3 adaptation.

You can watch The Last of Us on HBO and Max, and even if the HBO run ends with Season 3, Naughty Dog has already hinted that the franchise could keep going in games or other formats.