HBO expects The Last of Us to end with Season 3

HBO expects The Last of Us to finish with Season 3.

Chairman and chief executive Casey Bloys said he thinks showrunner Craig Mazin, the writer-producer who leads the series, has planned the third run as the last. He made the comment to Deadline at an Emmys afterparty when asked directly whether Season 3 will be the end. Deadline

The decision is not yet formal. Bloys has left the final call to the showrunners, and Season 3 is described as likely but not confirmed to be the final instalment. He gave a similar signal in February, telling Deadline it “certainly seems that way” when asked if the next season would close the story. Eurogamer

That leaves an open question. Mazin has previously said there is “no way” to wrap up the story in three seasons.

The HBO series adapts Naughty Dog’s PlayStation games about survivors of a fungal outbreak. Season 3 is due to shift the focus to Abby, a central figure from The Last of Us Part 2, the second game in the series.

Season 3 is set for release in 2027, with no specific date announced. IGN

The end is near. But the path there has moved around.

Production went on hiatus in June. That same month, actor Peter Sarsgaard joined the cast for Season 3. Deadline

Earlier thinking was looser. In July 2025, Bloys told Variety that Mazin had not yet decided whether the remaining story needed two more seasons or one more long season. That option appears to have narrowed, with Bloys now pointing to a three-season plan.

For fans, this means the shape of the ending is coming into view without being locked. Bloys is describing Mazin’s current plan, not issuing a cancellation notice, and the showrunners retain the final word.

Mazin is also developing a separate project for HBO, a TV adaptation of Baldur’s Gate 3, the fantasy role-playing video game. That work sits alongside his duties on The Last of Us, as HBO lines up what comes after its fungal drama.