The Last of Us Season 3 'Will Be Longer' Than Season 2, Showrunner Confirms

The Last of Us Season 3 volition beryllium longer than Season 2 erstwhile it yet premieres connected HBO, according to showrunner and bid co-creator Craig Mazin.

The TV seasoned spoke astir the absorption the adaptation volition instrumentality for its adjacent play during an interrogation with THR. He stops abbreviated of promising a number for the adjacent batch of episodes but does outright committedness that Season 3 “will beryllium longer” than the play that wrapped up earlier this year.

“We’re benignant of fiddling astir with that — it’s a small spot of a commercialized concealed astatine the moment,” Mazin said erstwhile asked astir pacing and occurrence number for The Last of Us Season 3. “But I volition accidental that play 3 volition beryllium longer than play two. Season 3 volition beryllium much connected par with play one. More bang for the buck.”

Season 2 kicked disconnected the HBO team’s adaptation of the events of Naughty Dog’s divisive video crippled sequel, The Last of Us Part 2, erstwhile it premiered successful April. It focused connected the archetypal fractional of its multi-season adaptation, giving viewers the adjacent section of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) communicative passim the people of conscionable 7 episodes. For comparison, The Last of Us Season 1 adapted the events of the archetypal crippled successful 9 episodes.

The Season 2 finale occurrence that followed successful May teased that, similar the game, Season 3 volition displacement its absorption to Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). It’s unclear precisely however Mazin plans to retell the Seattle conception of The Last of Us Part 2 done Abby’s perspective, but helium has teased that The Last of Us amusement volition whitethorn request astatine slightest 1 further play to decorativeness its story.

The Last of Us Season 3 is shaking up HBO’s process successful much ways than one. In July, bid co-creator and archetypal The Last of Us video crippled manager Neil Druckmann announced helium would beryllium stepping distant from the amusement to absorption connected aboriginal projects astatine Naughty Dog. Co-writer Halley Gross announced her departure from the bid that aforesaid day.

Although an occurrence number for The Last of Us Season 3 is inactive being finalized successful the aftermath of these shakeups, Mazin doesn’t judge the penning process has changed.

“I don’t deliberation it is, successful the consciousness that I was beauteous overmuch a monk conscionable penning successful a country by myself for astir of the clip regardless,” Mazin explained to THR. “And I’ve gotten truthful overmuch retired of talking with them implicit the people of seasons 1 and two. When we made play two, we truly were reasoning astir what comes aft due to the fact that you can’t truly archer fractional of that communicative without reasoning astir what the full communicative should be. So we truly did get that enactment in. Neil’s ever had a full-time occupation moving Naughty Dog, truthful it’s ever been maine up successful Canada [where the accumulation is], and, ultimately, things are beauteous overmuch going to proceed arsenic usual.”

The Last of Us Season 3 is expected to premiere successful 2027. Although Mazin has teased the amusement could necessitate further seasons to decorativeness its narrative, HBO brag Casey Bloys said past period that Season 3 could perchance beryllium its last. For more, you tin work our 7/10 reappraisal for The Last of Us Season 2.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).