Neil Druckmann Exits ‘The Last of Us’ Ahead of Season 3

As one of the bigger shockers this year, Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of The Last of Us, will be exiting production on the HBO series.

The announcement comes nearly a month after the sophomore season concluded with The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 7, “Convergence,” in May.

Druckmann recently released a letter on social media detailing why he will not be returning for The Last of Us Season 3. According to his letter, as reported by Variety, Druckmann stated that the reason for his leave is to “transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects.”

He also states that one of these projects involves the upcoming PlayStation game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which Druckmann is writing and directing.

“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,” Druckmann said. “It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write on the last two seasons.”

“I’m deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II,” Druckmann’s letter concluded.

As one of the series’ original creators alongside Bruce Straley, Druckmann was responsible for showrunning alongside Mazin for HBO. Throughout the process of both seasons of the show, Druckmann adapted several elements differently compared to what players experienced from the games.

In addition to Druckmann’s departure, screenwriter Halley Gross, who helped to write every episode of Season 2, also announced that she would also be leaving on Instagram.

“I’ve decided to step back from my day-to-day work on HBO’s The Last of Us to make space for what comes next,” Gross wrote. “Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life changing.”

“The stories we told – about love, loss, and what it means to be human in a terrifying world – are exactly why I love this franchise,” Gross stated.

Following Druckmann’s statement, Mazin also released a statement about both departures, per Variety. “It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,” Mazin said.

“While he focuses on that, I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect,” Mazin stated.

“We are so grateful to Neil and Halley Gross for entrusting the incredible story of The Last of Us Part II to us, and we’re just as grateful to the millions of people around the world who tune in.”

In April 2025, HBO renewed the series for a third season — less than a week before The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1, “Future Days,” aired.

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The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.

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