The Last of Us Season 3 ‘Planned for 2027′ and Could Be the Series’ End, HBO Boss Says

The Last of Us Season 3 is “definitely planned” to arrive in 2027, HBO boss Casey Bloys has confirmed, pinning down a launch window for the series’ next — and potentially last — run of episodes.

Amid a mixed response to The Last of Us’ recent second season and the subsequent departure of franchise creator Neil Druckmann, Bloys said he was confident in showrunner Craig Mazin’s ability to continue on — and to do so successfully despite the series’ lead actors changing.

Exactly how long the series will continue remains uncertain, Bloys continued, saying there was a possibility The Last of Us would wrap up in 2027 as well.

“The series is definitely planned for 2027,” Bloys told Variety, dodging the specific question of whether the show would return for the 2026-2027 TV season, or later.

“Craig [Mazin] is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season,” he continued. “It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that.”

HBO previously confirmed that The Last of Us Season 3 will now feature Kaitlyn Dever as its main star, following the departure of Pedro Pascal’s Joel and a waning focus on Bella Ramsey’s Ellie. Would the change of lead actors — particularly from the series’ hit first season — present something of a challenge?

“Not from a marketing perspective,” Bloys responded, “because I think the title is obviously helped by the video game, and now the first two seasons is pretty well established. I kind of appreciate shows that take things and do a show from a different point of view.”

While HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us has stuck pretty close to its source material, and the elevation of Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby as a main character is perhaps to be expected, fans were still surprised to see the exit of Neil Druckmann, the franchise’s creator, following the Season 2 finale.

“Obviously it was great to have Neil involved in the beginning,” Bloys said of Druckmann’s involvement. “The whole reason that I wanted to do Last of Us is after Chernobyl, I said to Craig, ‘What do you want to do next?’ And Last of Us was what he wanted to do. That’s what was most important to me, Craig’s creative excitement about the show. It was fantastic to have Neil involved.”

In a statement posted to social media, Druckmann said he would now return his focus full-time to Naughty Dog’s next project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

“A lot of people don’t realize that Neil has a full time job creating video games and running Naughty Dog,” Bloys concluded. “It’s a really big job that he’s got. So I understand why he needs to focus on that. But I believe he’s given us a good blueprint with the show. And obviously Craig is a pro, so I think we’ll be in excellent shape. I’m not worried at all.”

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social