The wait is now on for The Last of Us Season 3, after HBO and Max content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys confirmed the hit series’ release window.
The show was renewed for a third season ahead of its highly anticipated Season 2 return. And now, with anticipation for Season 3 reaching a fever pitch—thanks to Season 2’s dramatic finale—here’s when to expect the continuation of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) story following Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) heartbreaking demise.
When Is The The Last of Us Season 3 Coming Out?
In an interview with Variety, Bloys revealed that The Last of Us Season 3 is planned for release in 2027.
“The series is definitely planned for 2027,” he said.
He also discussed how long the show could run, especially after co-showrunner Neil Druckmann stepped away from the TV adaptation of the famous PlayStation game series to focus on developing other projects under Naughty Dog, the studio behind The Last of Us games.
With showrunner Craig Mazin now solely in charge of the series, it’s up to him to decide whether the show will continue for one more season or more.
“Craig is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season,” Bloys explained. “It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that.”
What to Expect from The Last of Us Season 3?
HBO previously confirmed that The Last of Us Season 3 will feature Kaitlyn Dever as the lead, following the game-changing twist in the Season 2 finale that shifted the story to Abby’s perspective.
With that being said, the upcoming season is expected to include a major flashback to “Seattle Day One,” where Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) are shown searching for Abby during the same time period seen in Season 2.
“I think Craig is still trying to write the season,” Dever told GQ. “I have no idea what their plans are. Craig says [season 3] is even more intense than season 2, which I don’t know how…[But] that’s all he told me.”
In the video game The Last of Us Part II, the perspective famously shifts from Ellie to Abby to explore her backstory and reveal how she was deeply affected by Joel’s actions in the first part of the game.
So, by the looks of it, Abby’s saga is about to begin in the third season.
As Mazin and the rest of the show’s creative team continue developing the series after Neil Druckmann stepped away, it remains to be seen whether The Last of Us will go beyond a third season.
However, as Casey Bloys hinted at the possibility of a longer Season 3, the wait for the new episodes could be longer—especially considering the time it takes to write and produce a longer season with high production value and the intricate storytelling the source material demands.
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