The Last of Us creator leaves work on the third season of the series

Neil Druckmann, creative director of Naughty Dog and the author of the original game The Last of Us, has officially announced that he is ending his participation in the production of the third season of the television adaptation. In his message to fans, Druckmann explained that he has not started work on the new season and is completely transferring creative control to the HBO team, including showrunners and writers.

The decision is due to the developer's desire to focus on the studio's gaming projects, in particular the previously announced Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. At the same time, Druckmann remains a creative consultant for the Last of Us franchise as a whole, but his direct participation in the creation of the series is over.



The television adaptation, which started in 2023, received mixed reviews from fans of the game with an average rating of 7.8/10. The third season should film the second part of the game saga with Abby as the central character. The prospects of the project now completely depend on the HBO team, which will have to continue the story without the direct participation of its creator. There are already concerns in the gaming community that Druckmann's departure could affect the series' fidelity to the spirit of the original, especially in key plot points.