Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of The Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series, has officially announced that he is stepping away from the show before production begins on Season 3. In a statement posted to the official Naughty Dog Instagram account, Druckmann confirmed he will no longer be creatively involved in the HBO adaptation, instead shifting his full attention to upcoming projects at the studio.
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“I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO,” Druckmann wrote. “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 added that working on the HBO series had been a career highlight and praised his collaboration with showrunner Craig Mazin, the cast, and the entire crew. Halley Gross, who co-wrote The Last of Us Part II with Druckmann and served as an executive producer on the show, also announced her departure from the series, saying she was stepping back “to make space for what comes next.”
Neil Druckmann speaking at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con International, for “The Last of Us”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
While Druckmann publicly cites scheduling and creative responsibilities at Naughty Dog as the reason for his departure, the announcement follows a significant downturn in audience engagement with The Last of Us during its second season.
After debuting to widespread acclaim in 2023, The Last of Us Season 1 concluded with a finale that drew 8.2 million U.S. cross-platform viewers. In contrast, the Season 2 finale, which aired May 26, 2025, brought in just 3.7 million viewers—a 55% drop from the previous season’s finale. The Season 2 premiere began with 5.3 million viewers, meaning the season lost approximately 30% of its audience over the course of its run.
A screenshot of Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us HBO Series – HBO Max
Despite continued critical praise, audience reception has diverged sharply. Season 2 currently holds a 92% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience score has plummeted to just 37%. This growing divide has reignited debates about the show’s creative direction, particularly its handling of key characters and the controversial narrative arc adapted from The Last of Us Part II.
HBO has maintained that viewership for the show continues to grow over time, with delayed viewing boosting overall numbers.
Abby in The Last of Us Season 2 – Max
Craig Mazin, who will remain onboard as showrunner for Season 3, praised Druckmann’s contributions in his own statement.
“It’s been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a more generous creative partner. While he focuses on [Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet], I’ll continue to work with our brilliant cast and crew to deliver the show our audience has come to expect.”
While Druckmann will still receive executive producer credit for Season 3, his departure from the day-to-day creative process marks a major transition for the series. As the show prepares to continue adapting the second game—with Season 3 expected to focus heavily on the character of Abby—it remains to be seen how the creative handoff will impact its future direction and reception.
The main character for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – YouTube, PlayStation
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Druckmann’s next project, was announced in December. The game will feature actress Tati Gabrielle in the lead role, with a score composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. No release date has been set.
