Last of Us co-creator quits HBO show to build new sci-fi universe

Neil Druckmann, co-creator of HBO’s The Last of Us and the original video game, is stepping away from the series ahead of its third season.

In a statement posted Wednesday(July 2) on Naughty Dog’s official Instagram account, Druckmann said:

“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO. With work completed on Season 2 and before any meaningful work starts on Season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects.”


“Co-creating the show has been a career highlight,” the statement continued. “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.”

Critically acclaimed career

Druckmann co-created the critically acclaimed series alongside Craig Mazin (Chernobyl). He served as executive producer, director, and writer for the first two seasons. While he will no longer be involved creatively in Season 3, Druckmann remains credited as co-creator and executive producer.

Season 2, which concluded in May 2025, followed major events from the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II. The upcoming third season is expected to continue that story, focusing on the character Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever.

Craig Mazin will now lead the show’s creative direction on his own. In a statement, Mazin said:

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

A new sci fi universe in making

Druckmann is currently working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a new video game under development at Naughty Dog. The project, announced during The Game Awards in December, stars Tati Gabrielle (who played Nora in The Last of Us Season 2) as Jordan A. Mun, an interplanetary bounty hunter. Druckmann is writing and directing the game while continuing to serve as Naughty Dog’s Studio Head and Head of Creative.

The HBO series The Last of Us premiered in January 2023 to widespread acclaim. Season 1 won eight Emmys and was nominated for 24. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star as Joel and Ellie in the post-apocalyptic drama, based on the 2013 PlayStation game.

No release date has been announced yet for Season 3.