‘The Last of Us’ Creator Neil Druckmann Exits HBO Series Ahead of Season 3
Neil Druckmann, the creator of the video game The Last of Us and co-creator of its series adaptation, is exiting the show ahead of season three.
The game’s creator made the announcement on X via video game developer Naughty Dog.
“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,” Druckmann said in a statement. “With work completed on season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.”
The statement continues, “Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write on the last two seasons. I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.”
Craig Mazin, Druckmann’s creative partner over the first two seasons, will now serve as the sole showrunner and lead writer for the series.
As for what’s ahead, the upcoming season will primarily tell Abby’s side of the story. It’s the same approach taken by the video game The Last of Us Part II, which the HBO series is adapting across at least two seasons of television. Abby is played by Kaitlyn Dever, who joined the second season of the HBO series.
“The Last of Us” Season 3 will show us what Abby was up to while Ellie was hunting her down in Seattle. “Abby is the hero of her story,” series co-creator Craig Mazin recently noted.
Stay tuned for more on the upcoming third season, especially now that Mazin will be flying solo, as we learn it.
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) July 2, 2025
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