'The Last of Us' Creator's Exit From HBO Series Is a Death Sentence for a Controversial Season 3

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Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller in 'The Last of Us'

Published Sep 10, 2026, 6:58 PM EDT

Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics.

After two seasons, HBO's The Last of Us has built a substantial audience. The 2023 series adapts Naughty Dog's video game franchise of the same name, but as it heads into its third and seemingly final season, more than a few major changes are being made to both the story and behind the scenes. Fans have been debating the upcoming shift in main characters ever since The Last of Us Season 2 ended, and last July, one of the show's creators, Neil Druckmann, left ahead of Season 3, freeing up his schedule to focus on other projects in his role as head of creative at Naughty Dog.

Though others, like co-creator Craig Mazin, will still be involved in the series' creative direction, Druckmann's departure has fans concerned, especially as he isn't stepping back alone. Recently, Druckmann confirmed that Naughty Dog has not contributed to Season 3 despite originally creating the story. Season 3 is already poised to be controversial, and this behind-the-scenes move risks losing the delicate balance The Last of Us has found in its adaptation.

'The Last of Us' Is Undergoing a Major Creative Shift in Season 3

Druckmann originally played a major part in HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us as a creator, showrunner, and writer; given his role in developing the original video games, he's more familiar with their story than most. In Druckmann's absence, Mazin is set to remain as the series' sole showrunner, providing a certain level of consistency for Season 3, even if it may not be seamless. Druckmann's departure and Naughty Dog's lack of involvement will leave a hole in the creative team that won't be easy to fill.

TV and video games tell stories in drastically different ways, but HBO's The Last of Us struck a great balance between straightforward adaptation and effective changes, such as expanding Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank's (Murray Bartlett) story. As video game adaptations have become more common, not all of them have achieved the same success. However, messing with something that's already been working to some extent can be risky, and this major creative shift doesn't necessarily bode well for The Last of Us' final season.

'The Last of Us' Season 3 Is Already Dealing With Controversy

This changing of the guard in HBO's The Last of Us isn't the only major change ahead of Season 3, yet the upcoming installment was always going to be controversial given Joel's (Pedro Pascal) shocking death in Season 2, which also earned intense backlash when the original game was released. Instead of primarily following Ellie (Bella Ramsey), as fans would expect, Season 3's story will shift focus to Joel's killer, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). This pivot offers a lot of story potential, but it will set Season 3 apart from the previous two.

The reason Druckmann's exit is especially worrying is that Season 3 is reportedly set to be the final installment of The Last of Us. Many shows that have otherwise been exceptional fall flat in their efforts to deliver a satisfying ending, and HBO's adaptation is in danger of doing the same. One more season doesn't necessarily seem like enough time to wrap up the story properly, as Mazin himself previously stated, so The Last of Us Season 3 will have to work hard to stick the landing. In the wake of Druckmann's departure and Mazin being tapped to develop a new Baldur's Gate series for HBO, fans have reason to be concerned. On the heels of a more divisive second season, Druckmann and Naughty Dog's departure only adds to the high expectations that The Last of Us Season 3 is facing as it nears release.

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