Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us season 2!HBO struck gold with their adaptation of the popular video gameThe Last of Us, and it should come as no surprise that the TV series has been renewed for a third season. Based on the eponymous game from Naughty Dog,The Last of Usis a post-apocalyptic drama set in a world besieged by aninfection caused by Cordyceps fungusthat turns its victims into zombies. Taking place decades after the infection began, the game and show are a dissection of society as they respond to such a crisis, and how it has stripped away aspects of their humanity.
Season 1adapted the events of the first game, while the sophomore outing tackled part of 2020’s epic follow-up game,The Last of Us Part II.The Last of Usseason 2 is set five years after season 1, focusing on Joel and Ellie as they are living in some semblance of society, though cracks are already beginning to form in their relationship and their fragile safety. Despite Joel’s shocking death, the show had ample story to tell throughThe Last of Usseason 2’s remaining characterswhile setting up a powerful third season.
The Last Of Us Season 3 Latest News
More Details About The Last Of Us' Future Have Been Revealed
BeforeThe Last of Usseason 2 even concluded, the focus began to shift to the show’s future on HBO. There’s already confirmation thatThe Last of Usseason 3 will be Abby’s story, which may not come as a surprise to those familiar with the sequel game. After killing Joel, Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby was absent for the remainder of the season until her reappearance in the season 2 finale. By following Abby,next season will also dive deeper into the WLF’s war against the Scars.
With One Line, The Last Of Us Sets Up The Most Horrifying Infected Character From The Game
The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 features a small mention of rats, highlighting that a terrifying Infected may appear in a future episode.
Interestingly,Craig Mazin suggestedThe Last of Usneeds season 4to properly finish the story. There’s no official word on HBO’s decision to renew the series for a fourth season, but it sure seems like the wheels are in motion to plan out the story beyond the confirmed season 3. If following the previously used timeline, we could get renewal news ahead of season 3’s debut. Either way, viewers can expect plenty more updates about the future of the show as production on season 3 gets moving.
The Last Of Us Season 3 Is Confirmed
HBO Renewed Season 3 Before The Season 2 Premiere
There’s no denying thatThe Last of Usseason 2 was one of the most anticipated TV shows of 2025, and the lengthy delays only increased the suspense. The video game adaptation took the world by storm in early 2023 and was quickly renewed. That’s why it wasn’t particularly shocking thatHBO renewedThe Last of Usfor season 3 in April 2025, just a few days before the season 2 premiere. By guaranteeing that the show will be back for at least one more outing, viewers can rest easy knowing there’s a lot more story to come.
The biggest question currently lingering over the third outing is its production timeline, and HBO is likely trying to avoid another long wait between seasons. Season 2’s delays were partially unavoidable, and the 2023 Hollywood strikes put the industry on ice for most of that year. However, it still took more than a year and a half forThe Last of Usto return following the strikes, so it probably won’t have a fast turnaround regardless. 2026 might be a bit too ambitious of a release window. Instead,The Last of Usseason 3 will likely premiere in 2027.
Series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann each released statements regardingThe Last of Usseason 3’s renewal:
Mazin:“We approached season two 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. We look forward to continuing the story of THE LAST OF US with season three!”
Druckmann:“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. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of THE LAST OF US!”
The Last Of Us Season 3 Cast Details
Who Will Survive Until Season 3?
Predicting the cast ofThe Last of Usseason 3 is quite difficult because there are a ton of factors at play. First, it’s unclear exactly how closely the show will stick with the game’s story, meaning characters may actually live when they were supposed to die and vice versa. On the other hand,The Last of Usseason 2’s cliffhanger endingpushed character fate reveals to season 3. However,we know for sure thatThe Last of Usseason 3 will heavily feature Kaitlyn Dever as Abby,and likely other members of the WLF, like Isaac and Abby’s crew.
While it’s unclear ifThe Last of Usseason 3 will cover the game beyond Abby’s time in Seattle, the upcoming installment will very likely involve Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Isabela Merced’s Dina in some capacity. That said, if the show follows the game structure, their appearances might be limited compared to season 2, and kept to the latter half of the episodes when the story returns to the confrontation in the theater.
The Last of Usseason 3 will likely introduce a few new cast members linked to Abby’s story, such as Lev and Yara from the game.
One big moment that has loomed over the entire series is the death of Pedro Pascal’s Joel, and it is a major turning point in the story ofThe Last of Us Part IIvideo game. That moment finally came in episode 2 of the second season, and it was appropriately emotional. Though Pascal starred inThe Last of Usseason 2’s flashback episode, he likely won’t return for any future appearances unless there’s a surprise in store.
The presumptive cast ofThe Last of Usseason 3 will notably include the following:
The Last Of Us Season 3 Story Details
How Will The Series Adapt The Game?
Based on the second season’s final scene, it implies thatThe Last of Usseason 3 will continue to adaptThe Last of Us Part IIfaithfully by switching to Abby’s time in Seattle.The Last of Usseason 2’s “Day One” endingsets up how the show will flip to Abby’s POV during the same days that Ellie and Dina were in Seattle. The switch represents how the game flips to Abby being the playable character following Abby’s attack on Ellie and her group in the theater.
IfThe Last of Us' showrunners want a season 4, it suggests that Abby’s POV will make up all or the bulk of the third season. That would mean that the events following the theater ambush would stretch out into a potential season 4, closing out the arcs of the remaining characters. Still,Abby’s own story will be intriguing, especially with how it involves the war between the WLF and Seraphites. Regardless of what happens inThe Last of Usseason 3, there is still plenty of the game left to pull from.
