HBO orders season 3 of "The Last of Us" - and we open the spoiler factory

Luca Fontana

10.4.2025

Translation: machine translated

The second season of "The Last of Us" hasn't even been released yet and HBO is already planning the third. And what about us? We're planning a self-help group in podcast form: the spoiler factory is also getting another season.

Before the second season of "The Last of Us" even starts, HBO is getting down to business: the acclaimed video game adaptation is officially getting a third season. Showrunner Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann announced this to the industry magazine Deadline - and immediately hinted that a fourth season is not out of the question either. The story is simply too big to fit into two or even three seasons.

However, there is one small restriction: season 2 will be shorter than season 1 - only seven episodes are planned. Sounds like a cutback at first, but it's the exact opposite. According to Mazin and Druckmann, this time it will be even deeper, more complex and sometimes longer: at least one episode will be almost feature-length.

"We want every episode to feel like a blockbuster," says Mazin - and anyone who has seen season 1 knows that this is no empty promise.

Shorter, but tighter

The decision to make seven episodes was not made for budgetary reasons, the duo emphasise, but out of narrative necessity. "The material from the second game is much more extensive than that from part 1," explains Druckmann. That's why the story was divided into sensible stages - and the first of these ends after seven episodes.

And yes, the game will remain the template. The series will not - like "Game of Thrones" - go beyond the familiar material, Mazin clarifies. Although there will be new characters and side paths in season 2 that did not exist in the game, the basic structure will remain the same. The series is closely linked to the original, emphasises Druckmann, who is behind the camera himself as co-creator of the game.

"We have already roughly planned out the seasons," reveals Mazin. "But we'll only see how it pans out in the final edit." But one thing is clear to him: after season 2, there is still so much story left that season 3 will be more extensive. "And it will probably have to go beyond that," he says.

Season 2: New faces, familiar abysses

In addition to Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna (Tommy) and Rutina Wesley (Maria) also return. New cast members include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse and Catherine O'Hara in a still undisclosed guest role. Deadline was also allowed a first look at the new scenes: The atmosphere is massive, the set is huge, the ambitions are high.

Druckmann describes season 2 as an even darker sequel to the first: "If season 1 was about unconditional love, now it's about what happens when that love turns into revenge." Sounds like moral grey areas, emotional abysses and plenty of material for discussion.

And that's exactly what the spoiler factory is for

Because what's better than watching an episode of "The Last of Us"? Right: racking your brains for hours afterwards, spinning theories, dissecting scenes - or simply lapsing into collective silence because it was too emotionally intense once again. That's why we're launching the next season of our podcast alongside the second season of "The Last of Us": the spoiler factory.

This is for everyone who doesn't just consume films, series and games, but lives them. Here, we don't just retell, but classify, dissect, celebrate - or criticise. And yes, there are spoilers. Ruthlessly. You can subscribe to us via any podcast app such as Spotify, Apple Podcast or Youtube Music. You can also click on "Follow author" below to make sure you never miss a new episode. Under the following link you will find our podcast equipment.

The podcast starts on 15 April, every Tuesday evening - i.e. the day after the new episode of "The Last of Us". We'll talk about what we've seen, what it does to us, what it means - or simply about why we were lying on the sofa in a fetal position. Maybe it'll be analysis, maybe group therapy.

Probably both.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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