[UPDATE - February 6, 2026] HBO has already found another game for Craig Mazin to adapt after the end of The Last of Us. It's Baldur's Gate 3, which is now confirmed to be getting an adaptation with Mazin set to create, write, executive produce, and run the show. Read the whole announcement here.
[ORIGINAL STORY] Ahead of HBO's The Last of Us season two premiering last year, all signs were pointing to the show telling the story of both games over the course of four seasons. We were getting hints towards four seasons in 2024, and while showrunner Craig Mazin has made it clear that he wouldn't be adding to the story beyond what's in the games, he definitively said in an interview with Collider last year that "there’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season."
Well, it seems like a lot has changed since that May 2025 interview, besides the fact that Neil Druckmann is no longer directly working on the show and that, due to scheduling conflicts, we'll see a new actor for the role of Manny whenever season three premieres in 2027. In a recent interview with Deadline, HBO boss Casey Bloys seemed to indicate that The Last of Us will now wrap up in three seasons, instead of four.
When asked directly about the upcoming seasons for both The Last of Us and Hacks being their final seasons, Bloys said, "It certainly seems that way, but on decisions like that, we will defer to the showrunners. So you can ask them."
Since the interview was published over the weekend, Mazin hasn't commented on what Bloys said to either confirm or deny that the show will be done after three seasons. The last time Bloys was asked about how many more seasons of The Last of Us we'd get, he shared the same sentiment he shared here, which was that he would be "following Craig's lead on that."
Considering where season two ended, it certainly could get wrapped up in three seasons, depending on how long Mazin and company want to spend on Abby's portion of the Seattle story and Ellie's return to Jackson, before we get to its culminating point in California. It might feel like a condensened version of what's left to tell from the story of The Last of Us Part II, but it's by no means impossible.
The other factor to consider is that while season two secured 16 Emmy nominations in 2025 (winning only one), ratings for the season fell below those of the first. Paired with a mixed critical reception, even if Mazin wants to do a fourth season, he may not be given the chance. That's not to say Bloys will go back on his word and not leave the choice up to Mazin, as he has stated he intends to do, but he could strongly suggest to Mazin that the show be finished in three seasons.
That said, this could all be a moot point if Naughty Dog ever gets around to making The Last of Us Part III, which could inspire more seasons of the show further down the line.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
