The Last of Us could end with the delivery of the final season, which is currently expanded to land in 2027. This revelation comes from a recent interview with HBO’s Chairman and CEO, Casey Bloys. The first season of The Last of Us dropped in January 2023 to an extremely positive reception, winning awards and going on to spawn an expected second season.
That second season ended in May 2025, culminating in a cliffhanger that set up a story being told from Abby’s perspective, the ‘second protagonist’ of the 2020 video game, The Last of Us Part II. Abby’s story could mark the end of the television show, simply because there’s no more source material to pull from.
Is The Last of Us Finishing After Season 3?
The third season of The Last of Us could very well be the final episodes we see from the live-action adaptation. This is almost certainly because the delivery of season three would mark the end of any source material.
In 2020, The Last of Us Part II was released, telling a tale of revenge and the pursuit of enemies across vast distances. It sees a split perspective unfold, with players experiencing a similar story told through the eyes of Ellie, on a mission of vengeance, and Abby, fighting to protect her friends and those close to her.
The second season of The Last of Us handled Ellie’s part of that story, but Abby’s adventure remains mostly untold, and that’s the basis for the third season.
In a recent interview with Deadline, HBO’s CEO suggested that the third season could be the last. When asked about the claim that the upcoming season would spell the end of The Last of Us, Casey Bloys said:
It certainly seems that way, but on decisions like that, we will defer to the showrunners. So you can ask them.
It was a short and sweet statement that somewhat confirms what might have been pretty obvious this whole time. Unless a fourth season of The Last of Us dove into topics beyond the established storylines of the video games, there’s just nothing else to produce.
Unfortunately, the second season was met with harsh criticism based on certain storylines and ongoing concerns regarding casting, which cast a pall over the show’s success.
How did you feel about the second season of The Last of Us? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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