Neil Druckmann is reportedly stepping away from his role as co-showrunner for the hit HBO series, The Last of Us. While he continues to hold a co-creator and executive producer role with the show, Druckmann says now is the “right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects.” In addition to serving as the co-showrunner for The Last of Us, he also heads Naughty Dog, the creative video game developer behind The Last of Us.
“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, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative,” Druckmann said. “Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. 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 their continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II. I look forward to HBO and PlayStation Productions continuing Ellie and Abby’s story next season.”
With Druckmann’s exit, production of the show’s third season is expected to begin this summer in Vancouver. Season three of The Last of Us is expected to debut in early 2027.
