Fans have waited over two years for The Last of Us season 2, so naturally the last thing they're thinking about right now is the end of the show as a whole.

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However, we may now have gotten a slightly greater sense of just when that will come, as co-creator Craig Mazin has said definitively that the series will never go past the games.

Mazin was speaking with The Hollywood Reporter when the publication noted that not only had his co-creator and game creator Neil Druckmann said he never planned to make a third game in the series, but the team had spoken about adapting the second game into two seasons - seasons 2 and 3.

When asked whether Mazin was now considering going past the games with the show's storyline, rather than ending with season 3, his said definitively: "I am not going to go past the game. I’ll just say that flat out."

Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Isabela Merced as Dina in The Last of Us, riding horses through the snow
Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Isabela Merced as Dina in The Last of Us. HBO

Mazin wanted to clarify that he and Druckmann were not planning a "cash grab", but the interviewer noted it could be a creative decision to end the series differently than the games.

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Mazin responded: "I’m basically setting a decade of my rapidly dwindling life on fire to tell this story. The show is so hard to make. It has to have an end.

"So I’m not going to go past [the games]. Who knows, there might be a Dunk and Egg The Last of Us show that happens that somebody does.

"But for me, the only question is: Is it going to be one more season or will it require two more? If this can happen all in one more season, great. If we feel like it makes sense to break it into two, then we will do that."

So there we have it - it seems the show will end with either its third or fourth season.

Mazin also seemed somewhat sceptical when the possibility of spin-offs was raised, saying that as a fan of the game he would "totally watch" a "Chronicle of Joel prequel", but saying that HBO hadn't asked and were instead "respectful" of the story he and Druckmann are telling.

Before we get to any third or fourth season, or any potential spin-offs, there's still the matter of season 2, which is finally arriving this month, and will reunite fans with Pedro Pascal's Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie, for what is sure to be another harrowing journey through the apocalypse.

The Last of Us season 1 is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW with an Entertainment Membership. Season 2 will be released on 13th April 2025.

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Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on this week. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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