The Last of Us season 3 was greenlit by HBO on April 9, 2025, ahead of the show's season 2 premiere, as per a report from Deadline. Like season 2, the third season will also be based on The Last of Us Part II video game, which was released on PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2020.The post-apocalyptic series, inspired by Naughty Dog's video game franchise of the same name, is created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. It is produced by Greg Spence, Cecil O'Connor, Allen Marshall Palmer, and Julie Herrin.As per official announcements, The Last of Us season 3 will focus on Kaitlyn Dever's character Abby's perspective and arrive sometime in 2027.The Last of Us season 3 will not return before 2027 View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOn July 15, 2025, Casey Bloys, the content chairman/CEO of HBO and Max, gave a definitive timeline for the premiere of The Last of Us season 3 by telling Variety:"The series is definitely planned for 2027. Craig is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that."There was an almost two-year gap between the release of seasons 1 and 2 of the award-winning series. Now, it seems that the same gap will follow the release of seasons 2 and 3 as well.Moreover, his statement does not clarify if the next installment will arrive in the first half of the year, like the previous two seasons, or in the second half of 2027. If the showrunners decide to end the series with a long, final season 3, then the decision will likely delay the timeline further.Also, Neil Druckmann, the show's creator and showrunner, will not be a part of The Last of Us season 3, as he announced his exit in an Instagram post on July 2, 2025. He decided to step away from the series to focus on his projects at Naughty Dog, where he serves as the president and head of the creative department.What will The Last of Us season 3 be about? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe Last of Us season 3 will cover the second half of the video game, and shift the narrative's focus from Ellie to Abby's point of view. At the FYC panel held on June 9, 2025, Druckmann confirmed that Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby, will lead the third chapter of the hit series.Consequently, Bella Ramsey's leading role as Ellie will be significantly reduced in the next season. The 21-year-old star told Variety on May 25, 2025, that they won't play a prominent role in season 3:"I think that I'm going to be there, but not a whole bunch. We've had conversations about that. I sort of have a rough idea of what it's going to be, but I can't tell you," she shared.In the press conference held on May 23, 2025, to discuss The Last of Us season 2 finale, Mazin and Druckmann teased fans with what they can expect from season 3.Mazin assured fans that the upcoming season will delve deeper into the origins of the conflict between the WLF and the Seraphites by answering lingering questions left from season 2."How did that war start? Why? How did the Seraphites start? Who is (their) prophet? What happened to her? What does Isaac want? What’s happening at the end of Episode 7? What is this explosion? All of it will become clear," he elaborated.Lastly, Druckmann didn't rule out the possibility of the fan-favorite character Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, returning in season 3 in flashback scenes, saying, "you can’t predict these things."Also read: 7 most emotional moments from The Last of Us season 2Watch both seasons of The Last of Us exclusively on HBO Max.