The Last of Us season 3 planned for 2027 and possibly final season

• HBO is targeting 2027 for release, but no exact date or month has been announced.
• Neil Druckmann is no longer working on the series as a writer and director and is refocusing on Naughty Dog.

What happened

Casey Bloys, HBO’s CEO, has reportedly said again that The Last of Us season 3 will likely mark the end of the series. He did not frame it as a formal confirmation, but as his expectation based on showrunner Craig Mazin’s plan. That still leaves room for HBO to change course later, although Bloys’ comments clearly point toward a final season.

Bloys also named 2027 as the year season 3 is expected to arrive. He did not give a specific release date or even a narrower window within that year. IGN previously reported that Bloys said in January that season 3 “certainly seems” like the final season, while in 2025 he had said it was still unclear whether the show would end with one longer season or two additional seasons.

According to the reporting provided, Neil Druckmann is no longer attached to the series as a writer and director. He has said he wants to focus again on Naughty Dog’s games, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. That shifts the show’s direct creative leadership further toward Craig Mazin.

So the current picture is that HBO is planning season 3 for 2027 and appears to view it as the likely conclusion, but there is still no formal, definitive confirmation that it will truly be the last chapter.

Background

The Last of Us is HBO’s TV adaptation of Naughty Dog’s game franchise. Because the games include many storylines and characters, there has long been a question of how many seasons would be needed to fully wrap up the story. Bloys’ comments show that HBO has considered multiple scenarios.

Mazin’s earlier remarks and Bloys’ comments do not fully line up. Mazin said in May 2025, according to IGN, that a fourth season would be needed, while Bloys later became more explicit about season 3 serving as the conclusion. The current reporting makes clear that HBO is now mainly aiming for a return in 2027, but has not yet given a definitive public confirmation of the exact ending point.

Neil Druckmann’s departure is also relevant to the production. As co-creator and a major creative force, he was closely involved with the series, but according to the sources he has stepped away from his writer and director duties to return to Naughty Dog. That fits with his work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which is also mentioned in the reporting.

Related GAME-scanner articles

• The Last of Us Part 2: what the news means for players and the studio

Sources

• Gamespot: The Last Of Us Season 3 Is Probably The Final Season, HBO Says Yet Again
• IGN: HBO boss all but confirms The Last of Us show will end with season 3
• HBO Max / YouTube: The Last of Us | Official Trailer | Max