"The Last of Us Renewed for Season 3 Before Season 2 Debut"

Major news, even if we all saw it coming: HBO's The Last of Us has officially been renewed for Season 3, less than a week before the premiere of Season 2 on Max.

"It can't be for nothing," Max revealed via its social media channels on April 9. "Season 3 is coming." A deep red flare is featured burning bright in the bottom corner of a video accompanying the ominous caption.

It can’t be for nothing. Season 3 is coming. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/q5HxyvK9O6

— Max (@StreamOnMax) April 9, 2025

The Last of Us premiered in January 2023 to major acclaim, even being touted by some as the best video game adaptation to date. Season 1 collected a whopping eight Emmy awards out of the 24 nominations it received. The highly-anticipated Season 2 will see leads Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal return as Ellie and Joel, alongside newcomer Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, a soldier driven by revenge after losing someone close to her. Joining the cast for Season 2 are Beef star Young Mazino, Alien: Romulus star Isabelle Merced, Captain America: Brave New World star Danny Ramirez, and legends Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Wright.

Recently, series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann opened up to IGN about their feelings toward the whole "Was Joel right?" debate that has been at the heart of the franchise since the game's release back in 2013.

"I believe Joel was right," the Naughty Dog studio head told us. "If I were in Joel's position, I hope I would be able to do what he did to save my daughter." However, Mazin felt differently. "That's so interesting, because I think that if I were in Joel's position, I probably would have done what he did," the Chernobyl showrunner noted. "But I'd like to think that I wouldn't. That's the interesting push and pull of the morality of it. And that's why the ending of the first game is so provocative and so wonderful. It just doesn't let you off the hook as a player."

The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on Max on April 13, 2025 — but as for a release date on Season 3, that one's still up in the air at this point. Check out IGN's spoiler-free review of The Last of Us Season 2 for more.